


The Sound of Us

by serindipitysays



Category: Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Human, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Older Man/Younger Woman, Romance, Slow Burn, Songfic, Sort Of, more like a musical in written form
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-11
Updated: 2019-11-04
Packaged: 2020-10-14 20:57:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 25,265
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20607197
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/serindipitysays/pseuds/serindipitysays
Summary: Rose Tyler used to have Plans. Big ones, "shoot for the stars" ones. But nothing ever really goes according to plan, does it? Now she's just trying to get by working at Wanderlust Coffee and Records while looking for melodies in a mundane life. Then she meets Dr. John Smith and despite a damp introduction, the words start coming a bit easier.John was just looking for a fresh start. A new town, new job, new life. As the physics professor at Coal Hill University he was looking forward to a quiet life of research and his books. Then he meets Rose Tyler and even he can't claim that the spark between them is just static electricity.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to my first venture into AUs! I’ve always been a bit too intimidated to try my hand at them but something about Twelve and Rose were just begging me to write this one. This is currently unbeta’d so all mistakes are my own!
> 
> I studied in England nine years ago but Coal Hill and Coal Hill University are based on a town and college here the U.S. Apologies for the things that will definitely scream “American”.
> 
> Music is a big part of this story. So much so I'd consider it a main character. I'll be sure to credit every song that is mentioned throughout the story.

** _'Halogen lights, pave the way. Moonlit skies, touch your face. And we can’t stop staring up into outer space, we’re leaving without a trace.'_ **

Rose Tyler burrowed deeper into her pillow as she pulled the duvet up and over her head. The morning had come too early and she was not yet ready to face it. Unfortunately Lauren Strahm’s silvery voice wound its way around her senses and lifted her to the waking world. With a huff Rose kicked the blankets to the bottom of the bed and turned the alarm off on her phone part way through the next verse.

Beyond her bedroom door she could just make out the sounds of Martha puttering about the kitchen and she grinned. Martha had promised she’d help Rose adjust to this new schedule by always having coffee ready and waiting for her. Although Rose missed seeing her friend for more than a few minutes a day she could easily get used to to this new development. She breathed in deeply and could just make out the enticing scent of brewing caffeine. With a resigned sigh she finally swung her legs over the bed and gingerly touched her toes to the cold hardwood just as a knock sounded on her door.

“Up and at ‘em, Rose. Coffee’s started.”

Rose took a moment to stretch as she put on her robe. Not for the first time she cursed Amy’s decision to go back to school. Rose was incredibly proud of her for braving the university halls once more but having to pick up Amy’s opening shifts at Wanderlust were going to kill her, she was sure of it. She looked over at the calendar pinned up on her wall. Students would start moving to campus on Friday which meant five more days before they could start hiring seasonal help.

“Need a freaking time machine,” she grumbled beneath her breath as she left her room to face the day.

“You know, if you keep using music you enjoy as your alarm you’re going to end up hating it.” Martha chided from her spot on the floor. She was sandwiched between the couch and the coffee table, the area around her full of textbooks and note cards as usual. Two pencils stuck out at odd angles from the knotted hair on top of her head. Rose briefly wondered if Martha even remembered they were there. “Classical conditioning. Psych 101. You’re going to start associating it with something you dislike.”

“You’re training to be an MD, Martha, not my shrink,” Rose replied as she pulled a mug out of the cupboard. “Besides, it’s nice to start the day with a good tune stuck in my head.” She hummed along sweetly to the song that had awoken her as she poured her coffee and added a dash of milk.

She crossed the small flat to curl up on one end of the couch behind Martha. She tucked her feet underneath her and wrapped her fingers around her coffee mug, breathing in the calming warmth as her senses slowly joined her in wakefulness. “How was your shift?”

Martha traded her highlighter for a large mug of chamomile tea and turned to her friend, placing an arm on the couch cushion as she leaned against it. “It was fine. Long. I’ll be glad when this rotation is over.” She stretched her long arms over her head as she let out a deep yawn. "Once I’m done with this chapter I’m off to bed.”

“I’ll try to keep it down while I get ready.” Rose assured her before taking another long sip of her coffee. “Can’t wait 'til we’re on the same schedule again.”

“Same.” Martha tried to say around another yawn. “When do you guys start fall hiring?”

“We’re hoping to start interviews in a week. Donna posted the help wanted advertisement to the campus jobs board yesterday. Students move in this weekend and we hope there will be a few go-getters that submit their applications early-” Rose’s phone started vibrating as Fleurie’s voice filled up the room again.

** _'Halogen lights, pave the way. Moonlit skies, touch your-'_ **

“Ah, that’s my ‘it’s really time to get your bum moving’ alarm.”

“So then move that bum!” Martha chided again as she swatted her friend on the leg. “Will you be home for dinner, and by dinner I mean breakfast?”

“No,” Rose grumbled as she hurried to rinse out her mug and place it in the dish drainer. “Full day at the shop today. But if you get take-away text me, I may have you pick something up for me.”

“Sure thing. Oh, and don’t forget your umbrella! It's supposed to be gross today."

* * *

Half an hour later Rose quietly shut the front door behind her as she pulled on her raincoat and started the short walk to Wanderlust. She tugged her hood up and over her head and pulled it low to shield her from the light morning drizzle. “This is not umbrella worthy.” She grumbled as she stepped out on to the sidewalk.

She watched her feet as she walked, her hood acting as a blinder, and she let loose a happy hum as she realized she didn’t have to worry about crashing into anyone at this early hour. Although she abhorred being awake this early she had to admit that navigating the streets were much easier at this time of day. The city was still quiet, just beginning to stretch and wake with the morning rain. For once she could actually hear her own thoughts rather than just the sound of passing traffic. She was about to leap across a puddle when she stopped and giggled to herself. Rather than stepping over it she jumped in with both feet, her wellies protecting her from the cold water. There was no traffic to see her be childish and she chuckled, a bit more energetic now as the coffee flowed through her veins and light rain hit her cheeks.

Rose checked her phone and picked up her pace, noticing the rain was beginning to come down harder. Wanderlust was scheduled to open in forty-five minutes. She knew Donna trusted her to get everything up and running but it had been ages since she’d been on the morning shift and didn’t want to let the woman down. Donna Noble had gone above and beyond for Amy and Rose since they’d finished school and tried to set out on their own. They’d graduated with Plans. The kind that only two young girls fresh out of university could have. Amy wanted to be an actress, Rose a singer. They’d excelled in university but once out in the world, where they shared Plans with so many others, the most they’d done was nurse a stack of bills that needed to be paid and sign a few background gigs. Donna had given them a fresh start at Wanderlust.

That was three years ago and the girls had finally decided it was time for new Plans. They weren’t going to give up on their dreams, but it didn’t hurt to have Plans B, C, and D. Amy had decided to go back to school while Rose had picked up a column in the university paper. It wasn't writing lyrics, but she still had a way with words that helped get an article out each week. Rose could fit her new work into her day easily but Amy's schedule was going to take a hit when she started her business courses next week. That left Rose to pick up the extra work until the students arrived on campus at the end of the week.

Rose reached the employee’s entrance of the shop and let herself in. She felt around in the dark for a moment until her fingertips found the lights. The backroom flickered to life with florescent light and she hung her coat up on a hook. After stepping out of her wellies and into a pair of well-loved Converse she made her way to the front of the shop. A few switches later and the coffeehouse glowed with an orange warmth that seemed to hug her from within. She hummed to herself as she moved chairs that had been stacked on table tops back to the floor.

_“Touching the clouds, never get found. Shoot straight up, never come down. Let’s get lost chasing stars.”_

“That’s pretty. One of yours?” Donna’s voice called out to her as she walked into the room tying her apron about her waist.

Rose chuckled sadly. “Unfortunately no. I've hit a bit of a dry spell actually.”

“I’m sure you’ll be through it in no time." Donna assured her. "Once you’ve got all the chairs down do you mind brewing and filling the carafes? I’ve got some quick emails to send before we open.”

Rose nodded and continued singing to herself as she worked. A quick glance at the clock on the wall reminded her that the peace and quiet of the shop would end in half an hour, she'd have to enjoy it while she could.

* * *

“Bollocks!” John Smith exclaimed as he watched the bus drive off. The bus he should have been on. It wouldn’t have been so bad had he remembered his umbrella but in his rush to leave he’d left it back at the flat.

With a palm held over his glasses to shield them from the rain he reviewed the time table on the bus stop. Next bus wouldn’t be for another twenty minutes. “Bugger.” He mumbled and pulled his coat tighter about his shoulders. This stop didn’t have a covered bench and he contemplated running back to his flat to get his umbrella. He decided against it, realizing with his luck he’d just end up missing the next bus. Instead he turned about looking for any bit of shelter from the rain he could spot. He could just make out a coffee shop on the corner, the front door inset into the building leaving a bit of overhang he could take shelter under.

John ran his fingers through his gray curls and grimaced as he thought of how unruly they would be after this. The curls had a mind of their own on his best day, add a bit of rain and he shuddered as he thought about the disaster in his future. At least he wasn’t teaching today. Just needed to get to the office and meet Clara to help her get settled into her duties. He took his glasses off as if to wipe them but remembered that everything on him now was wet and dripping, wouldn’t help much. He slid them back over his ears and scowled through the clinging raindrops.

A sharp knock caused him to jump and he turned to look behind him. A young woman was waving at him through the glass door of the coffeehouse. He moved out of the way enough so that she could open the door a bit.

“Hello.” She smiled and John was struck with an image of the sun shining through the dark clouds overhead.

He shook his head and frowned slightly. “Uh, hello.” He responded as he tried to back out of the way of the opening door but still stay under his small shelter from the rain.

“We don’t open for another half an hour.”

“What? Oh, no. I’m not waiting to come in.” He reassured her “I just… I missed my bus. Just taking shelter until the next one comes.”

The young woman looked him up and down then and he could tell she was trying to bite back a smile. He must look a fright, a drowned rat even.

“How long ‘til the next one comes?”

John looked down at his watch with a grimace. “About 20 minutes.”

The young woman bit her lip before nodding towards the coffee shop. “Come on in then. Get out of the rain properly.”

“I’m fine.” He said gruffly as he turned back to watch the street for a bus he knew wasn’t coming.

“Suit yourself.”

He watched her shrug out of the corner of his eye and she turned to head back to work. He heard a quiet thud as door’s deadbolt caught on the outside of the latch, leaving the door open a crack. He wondered briefly if she had done it on purpose but as a car drove past and splashed up road water onto his shoes he didn’t really care much anymore. With a sigh he turned and opened the door escaping into the warmth of the coffeehouse.

He glanced up as he crossed the threshold and saw her smiling at him with her arms crossed over her chest. '_On purpose then'_, he thought.

“Can I get you a drink?” She questioned.

“I thought you weren’t open?” He undid his raincoat and finally wiped his glasses off on his zipped up sweater. With the droplets wiped away he could see her properly and once more thought of the sun breaking through the clouds. The morning was gray and dreary but she was bright and cheerful. Blond hair, honey eyes, and a megawatt smile that could melt the coldest of hearts.

“Suppose we can make an exception this once.” She called over her shoulder as she moved to the counter.

He stayed where he was on the mat in front of the door, noticing the small pool of water collecting below him. “I’ll drip all over the place.” He spread his hands out as if to display his already noticeably drenched appearance.

“As will the rest of the customers when they come in. I’m sure you won’t be the only drowned rat on our doorstep today.”

“Oi.” He scowled, irrationally vexed that she had conjured the same image as he had just a few moments before. The scent of freshly brewed coffee hit him then and his brain screamed for his feet to move towards the caffeine. He’d be lying if he said he wasn’t slightly addicted to the stuff.

“I’ll take a small coffee, four sugars.” He dug about in his pockets for his wallet but a dejected look crossed his face when all he pulled out was a bit of lint. “Bugger.”

The young woman laughed again and he found he was growing to enjoy the sound. “You really are in a right state today aren’t you?” Still she poured him the coffee in a to-go cup and gave him another sunshine grin. “Here, on the house. You weren’t planning on coming in after all.”

“Oh, no. I couldn’t. No money.”

“Nonsense. No one else is going to drink a cup of sugar with a splash of coffee. This is wasted if you don’t drink it.”

With a grimace he gave a short nod and took the proffered cup. He tried to ignore her victorious smirk as she returned to filling the carafes with freshly brewed coffee.

A door swung open to his right and John watched as a surprisingly familiar redhead walked into the room. “Rose, once Jack gets here feel free to go on upstairs and open up shop.” The woman noticed him then and her face lit up with a mix of shock and happiness. “John Smith! Is that really you?”

“Donna Noble.” John chuckled as he took in the woman before him. “Just as I remember you. Far too loud this early in the morning.”

“Oh, come here you!” Donna wrapped her arms around him in an unavoidable hug. He heard the young woman, Rose, Donna had called her, chuckle as his arms stuck out awkwardly behind Donna’s back carefully attempting not to spill his coffee.

John patted her back a couple of times with his free hand. “Yes, yes, it’s good to see you, too.”

“You two know each other then.” Rose stated more than questioned as she began filling and arranging a small bakery display.

“Sure do,” Donna started as she moved behind the counter to help. “Worked for him for a bit. He’s a grumpy old bastard. A proper Scotsman.”

John scowled over his cup but couldn’t help glancing at the younger woman as if to gauge her reaction. He shook his head slightly at that, why did he care what her reaction was? “Only before I’ve had my coffee.” John raised his cup up as if in salutations. “Your young barista here was helpful enough to bring this grumpy old bastard in from the rain and give him his caffeine fix.”

“Oh, right! Introductions!” Donna clasped her hands together before pointed between the two of them. “John Smith, Rose Tyler. Rose Tyler, John Smith. I was John’s secretary for a time before I took over this place. John, I’m sorry but I’ve really got to get some things done before we open in a few minutes. You should come back another time and we can catch up!”

John gave her a genuine smile then and nodded his ascent. She gave him a quick wave and retreated to the back of the house once more.

“So there’s someone else out there that knows the joy of working with Donna Noble.” Rose spoke up from where she was crouched behind the bakery display. “She’s really lovely, isn’t she?”

“Well, I don’t know if I’d go that far.” He chuckled and took another sip of his coffee. “How long have you worked for her?”

“A couple of years now. I primarily work upstairs but we’re a bit short staffed in the cafe so I’m helping out in mornings for awhile.”

John looked around and saw a small staircase off in the corner. “What’s upstairs?”

“Want to see?” Rose grinned then and nodded for him to follow her. John knew he should have said no, he still had a bus to catch, but he couldn’t help feeling he’d follow this girl just about anywhere if she kept smiling like that.

When they reached the top of the stairs Rose turned to face him and spread her arms wide. “Welcome to my little haven in the universe. Wanderlust Records.”

Her smile was contagious and he felt his own tugging at the corners of his lips. Alright, he’d admit it, the place was impressive. This shop was about twice the size of the cafe downstairs and filled to the brim with records, turntables, and more. Two of the walls and all of the center aisles were full of records first sorted by genre and then alphabetically. Above the records along the walls were vintage t-shirts, sound equipment, and even some secondhand guitars. A third wall was made up of floor-to-ceiling bookshelves though he couldn’t make out any titles from where he stood. He walked down one of the aisles and dragged his fingertips lightly over the records. At the end of the aisle the room opened up into a small lounge area. One corner was set up as a stage, surrounded by three small tables in a semicircle.

“Are you a musician, Miss Tyler?” John asked as he let his eyes wander across the room.

Rose shrugged, suddenly bashful. “I try my best I suppose. Better with words. I’m just your stereotypical small town nobody, hoping to make it big as a singer slash songwriter.”

“I’m sure there’s nothing stereotypical about you.” John mentally slapped a hand over his mouth wondering where in the hell that came from. She blushed prettily as she turned to sort through a box of records.

“So, what do you do, Mr. Smith?” She finally asked.

John pulled his eyes away from a beautiful acoustic guitar strung up behind the stage. “I’m a professor at the university. Starting next week actually. And please, call me John.”

“A professor? So it’s _Doctor_ Smith then? What do you teach Dr. Smith?”

“Physics, and again, it’s John.”

Rose wrinkled her nose a bit and started walking back to the other end of the shop. “I was never one for physics. Any of the maths and sciences really. Just couldn’t wrap my head around ‘em.”

“Maybe you just had the wrong teacher.” John replied, a teasing lilt to his Scottish brogue. He was glad she was leading him down the stairs and couldn’t see the embarrassed wince he knew had just washed over his face. She crossed back to the abandoned bakery case to continue her work. He could just make out the digital clock behind the counter and let out an exasperated growl.

“Bollocks. I’ve got to go. Don’t want to miss the bus again.”

He took a few steps towards the front door before he heard her voice call out to him. “If you ever do miss it again you’re welcome to come back and wait for it here.”

“I thought this was a one-off exception?” He called over his shoulder as he reached the door. He stopped and looked back at her, pleased to see he could make out her smile from across the room.

“What good are rules if you don’t break them every so often?”

“Well, then. Until next time, Rose Tyler.” He titled an invisible hat at her and left the shop with a lightness in his step he hadn’t noticed before.

* * *

Songs used in this chapter:

  * Chasing Stars by Fleurie

[Listen to the soundtrack to The Sound of Us on Spotify. (WIP, will continue to grow as this fic does)](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3dwM66FevvQr30BRrrHriN)


	2. Chapter 2

The Number 12 bus pulled up in front of campus just as the heavy rain began to let up. John let out a silent thanks to the universe, his shoes and coat having just begun to dry during transit. He stepped off the bus and immediately felt the chill of drizzling rain and wind against his cheeks. He wrapped his fingers tighter around the coffee in his hand and felt the warmth spread through him knowing a bit of it was gratitude for a stranger in a coffee shop.

The Hartnell Natural Sciences Building was still dark as he walked in and the only sound in the halls were the echo of his heavy boots. Even with missing his original bus it seemed he was still the first one to arrive, not terribly surprising given the semester hadn’t even started yet. According to his watch he still had over half an hour until Clara was scheduled to arrive. For the life of him he couldn’t remember why he’d decided to get here so early but knew the long list of things to finish before the semester started still waited for him. He stopped in front of a dark oak door and dug his keys out of his coat pocket. The door still held the name of the last physics professor, James McCrimmon, on the little sliding plaque built into it. John wondered briefly if he was another Scotsman with a name like that. All the chair of the department had said when John had asked why his predecessor left was that he had decided to go home.

_Maybe I should leave it,_ John thought, smirking as he pushed open the door. If they couldn't find him it would make it a bit harder for people to come and bother him during office hours.

Ignoring the overhead lights he turned on a small lamp on his desk flooding the room with a soft glow similar to the orange warmth of the coffee shop he’d escaped into that morning. Once he’d removed his coat and settled behind his desk he switched on an old radio balancing precariously on the small window sill at the back of the room.

_ **‘Skipping and a jumping in the misty morning fog, with our hearts a thumpin’, and you, my brown-eyed girl. You, my brown-eyed girl.’** _

John nodded his head along to Morrison’s expressive, almost growling voice as he turned back to his desk and flipped on the ancient computer stationed there. He’d have to talk to someone about getting some new equipment in here as soon as possible. He’d opened up the computer when he first moved into the office to see what he could do about fixing it up but it still ran as if filled with treacle. While it slowly booted up he focused on the song pouring from the radio and let his mind wander back to his own brown-eyed girl that he’d met that morning. Her image was bright in his mind’s eye and he smiled slightly at the memory of her walking backwards through the record shop, obviously proud of her little part of the world. He shook his head as if to clear the image. Not worth spending time on, he figured. He was here to escape in his work, not think about musicians half his age. Besides, she was just being kind, saving him from the rain, nothing more to think about there.

He moved to a small desk tucked in the corner of the room and began unpacking a box of books he’d left stacked on top of it. While a bit cramped for his taste the office suited his needs well enough. He’d started moving into the space the week before and all that remained was to fill the bookshelves that took up one full wall of the small office. Between the desk in the corner, his own large desk in the center of the room, and the bookshelves along the wall there really wasn’t much floor space left. The bit that remained was by the window with the radio and that was now taken up by an old acoustic guitar. He didn’t play nearly as much as he had in his younger years but he found taking a moment to play helped trigger a different part of his brain when he was stuck in the middle of his research.

As he stacked and organized the books on the shelves his eyes keep flicking over to the guitar by the window until he couldn’t resist the pull of it any longer. He picked up the instrument and ran his fingers over the cool lacquered wood. He plucked mindlessly at the strings for a bit, less making music and more just enjoying the feel of the strings pressing into his fingertips. He once tried to explain to someone that playing music was like a good cup of coffee in the morning. It stimulated the brain and opened the senses. He could almost feel the notes themselves coursing through his bloodstream like caffeine and he couldn’t help but think of whiskey colored eyes as he began to play along with the song on the radio.

_ **‘Oh, my brown-eyed girl. You, my brown-eyed girl.’** _

Time passed quickly until a knock on his office door startled him. Guess the wrong name on the door wasn’t much of a deterrent after all. He quickly put his guitar to the side, flicked on the overhead lights and rushed to open the door, revealing a young brunette waiting on the other side. John thought she seemed a little over-dressed in her blazer and plaid skirt, especially compared to his own well-worn t-shirt and Doc Martens. _Wants to make a good impression,_ he thought.

“Hello, I’m Clara.” The young woman smiled wide and held out her hand in expectation. He took it for the briefest of moments and quickly ushered her into his office.

“Welcome, please, come in.” He waved in the general direction of a chair by his desk as he closed the door behind her and moved to sit down himself. “It’s nice to meet you in person.”

“You as well, Dr. Smith.” She replied. Her smile was pleasant enough but he couldn’t help but compare it unfavorably to the tongue-touched smirk that had welcomed him out of the rain that morning. “I’m excited to work for you.”

“_With_ me, Clara. _With_ me.” He asserted. “Sure I’ll have you doing the grading and teaching here and there but the research we’ll be doing together. I’ve looked over your previous work and I think having your eyes on some of these projects will really help and make a difference.”

He could see Clara visibly preen under his praise and hoped that it would be enough to satisfy her for the rest of the semester. He’d taken on graduate assistants previously and far too many of them had suffered from the need of constant praise and recognition. He found it tiring and got in the way of the actual work they should have been doing.

“Now,” he began as he switched back to his computer, pushing his glasses back up his nose with the tip of his finger. “we’re going to need to get you fitted with a lab ID and a work space. Shall we get started?”

* * *

Rose scowled at the notepad in front of her as she tapped the end of a pencil against the counter top. A small pile of crinkled pages sat at her feet, hidden from the couple of patrons wandering around Wanderlust Records. No matter how hard she tried the words just weren’t coming. She’d already finished her report for the Coal Hill U-News but when it came to writing words for herself, whether it be a new song, a poem, anything… she had nothing. Drew a complete blank. At least her work with the News was satisfying in a way. They’d given her a weekly music column where she spent her time reviewing new album releases as well as interviewing local performers. She’d always hoped to be one of those performers being interviewed, but without lyrics there wouldn’t be much to review.

A soft knock on the counter top shook her from her thoughts and she found herself looking up at a good looking man holding a record between his hands.

“Oh, sorry, sir. Are you ready to check out?” She asked as she jumped off of her stool and walked to the cash register at the end of the counter.

“Actually, I had some questions first.” He leaned his arm against the counter and tilted his head towards her. He gave her a wide smile that showed off a row of perfect teeth which caused Rose to think of a shark for a brief moment.

“What can I help you with?”

He tossed the record onto the counter top and though it was in its cover Rose couldn’t help but scowl and hope that it wasn’t injured. “I just bought a turntable and I’m looking for some vinyl to fill my collection. Picked this one out but I also had a feeling you would have a few good recommendations.”

Rose looked down at the record he’d carelessly tossed on the table and smirked inwardly when she saw the title. “Best of The Beatles, eh? Good choice.” She said out loud. _Safe choice,_ she thought to herself. She loved the Beatles, everyone did, and that was the problem. She’d been working at Wanderlust Records for three years and during that time had met many people that had “just bought a turntable and needed to fill their collection” and they usually reached for the Beatles or Queen before anything else. Those people tended to be the same ones that ordered the seasonal trendy drink at Starbucks and liked deconstructed hamburgers. Nothing wrong with any of that it was all just a bit safe for her. Too much jumping on the bandwagon rather than exploring, making mistakes, and developing your own tastes.

“Well,” She began as she moved from behind the counter, “it’s hard to give a recommendation if I don’t know what you're into. The Beatles don’t really tell me much except that you’re a good and loyal Brit. Their music is fantastic, don’t get me wrong. But everyone loves The Beatles no matter if you’re a fan of opera, rap, or hip-hop.”

A crease formed over the man’s eyes as she handed the record back to him. “Oh, well. How about you tell me what sort of music you like, I’m sure I’d like that.”

Rose forced a smile as she nodded towards a section in the back of the store. “I love a bit of everything but I’ve always had a soft spot for the old crooners. People like Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby and of course, Billie Holiday, one of the all time greats.”

“Oh, I love him! He had some great stuff.” Rose bit back a laugh as quickly as she could. It wasn’t often that people fell for that but it always amused her when they did.

She led the man over to a section of used records in the far corner. “Take a look through these. I think there will be a few in here that really jump out at you. Should be a few of Billie’s greatest hits in here as well. Anything with ‘_Crazy He Calls Me_’ is bound to be a good one.”

The man gave a hesitant look at the bin as if it was something stuck to the bottom of his shoe. “Oh, um. Do you have any new records? You just never know what you’re going to get with used. There could be, you know, scratches, dirt, stuff like that.”

Rose had to fight not to roll her eyes as she nodded to the aisles of cellophane wrapped packages. “You’ll find all newly released and reissued records in the center of the room.” She glanced down at her watch and felt the feeling of freedom wash over her. “I am sorry I can’t help more, I’ve got to take my lunch now. My colleague Bill will be up shortly to take over if you have any more questions.”

Before the man could answer she’d turned, chuckling to herself as she made a mental note to tell Bill about the man and his claim that Billie Holiday was a great _male_ singer. No one ever got a kick out of it as much as her similarly named _female_ coworker.

Rose was in the middle of packing up her notebook and throwing away her discarded, crumpled pages when she heard her name called from behind her. Young, energetic, and always with a smile on her face, Bill Potts was practically skipping down between the aisles of records. Rose opened her arms and captured up the younger woman as Bill threw her arms about Rose’s neck. They swayed back and forth a moment giggling happily before separating. Bill immediately set to work laying down her backpack and placing some textbooks in the same spot Rose had just been writing.

“How was your summer?” Rose asked as the girl got settled.

Bill let out a huff, “So not long enough. The only reason I’m back now is that we had to sign the papers for our new rental or they were going to give it to some freshmen that still needed a place.”

“I do not miss the tortures of student housing.” Rose laughed, “Worked out brilliantly that when Amy and Rory decided to move in together it just meant that Amy and Martha had to trade places.”

“Yeah, we can’t all be that lucky. But getting here early does have its perks I suppose. Bit of time to get a head start on reading and work before the semester starts.” Bill nodded at the stacks of books she’d somehow managed to fit in her backpack.

“Honestly, I’m glad you’re here. With Amy on vacation right now and starting classes next week I’m not sure we could have held on to our sanity without your extra help.” Rose picked up her own bag and gave the counter a loving pat as she turned to leave. “Take care of her, Bill. If you need anything come get me.”

Rose gave Jack and Donna a small wave as she moved to a table off to the side of the cafe. She laid out her lunch and notebook before walking back to the counter and to make herself a quick cup of tea.

“So, Rose. Donna here was just telling me about the drowned rat you saved this morning.” Jack gave her a wink as he worked on making a customer’s large decaf cappuccino.

Rose rolled her eyes as she set a timer for her tea. “There’s not much to tell. Saw a drenched man trying to hide from the storm, gave him some coffee and a chance to dry off a bit.”

“I was so excited to see him in here this morning. John’s a sweet guy.” Donna laughed heartily at Rose’s quirked eyebrow. “After he’s had his coffee. I only worked for him for a little while but he was always very kind. He's actually the one that convinced me to get this place. Well, not directly. But I always knew I wanted to do more than secretarial work and he convinced me I could. Made me believe in myself a bit more.”

Rose gave the woman a beaming smile. “I’m glad! You really are brilliant, Donna, and don’t you forget it.”

The timer went off for her tea and she returned to take her break at her usual table. The paper before her was still dauntingly blank but she felt a bit more optimistic as she thought about her friend happily chatting away behind the counter. She’d only spoken with John Smith for a few minutes but if he'd had a role in helping Donna Noble become the wonderful woman she was today, she was eternally thankful for him.

* * *

Songs featured in this chapter:

  * Brown Eyed Girl by Van Morrison
  * Crazy He Calls Me by Billie Holiday

[Listen to The Sound of Us soundtrack on Spotify. (WIP)](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3dwM66FevvQr30BRrrHriN)


	3. Chapter 3

_ **‘Halogen lights, pave the way. Moonlit skies, touch your face. And we can’t st-’** _

Rose groaned as she hit the snooze button on her alarm once more. She’d lost count of how many times she’d woken up and fallen back to sleep to that music this morning. She was starting to hate it. _Maybe Martha was right_, she thought groggily. She’d have to change it soon or ruin Fleurie forever.

A hard knock sounded on her bedroom door. “Rose, come on. You’re going to be late. I will come in there and pull you out of bed if I have to.”

Rose sighed and flung the blankets off of her before she could contemplate snuggling under them further. She rolled over and practically slid out of the bed, her limbs refusing to cooperate, as she turned the alarm off properly on her phone. A quick look at the time told her she had about 10 minutes if she wanted to get to the store on time. Not nearly long enough as she dashed to her closet and searched for the first clean clothes she could find.

“I left a thermos on the counter for you.” Martha said as Rose ran from her room, brushing her hair up into a ponytail as she went.

“You’re the best.” Rose exclaimed, tossing a notebook into her backpack and reaching for her shoes.

Martha smiled at her over her usual cup of chamomile, “Not the first nor the last time you’ll say that. What’s with the late start?”

Rose tossed her bag over her shoulder and picked up the tumbler of coffee Martha had filled for her. She took a long drink before answering. “You know how everyone complains about Mondays?” Martha nodded, giving her a confused pout. “Well no one ever mentions Tuesdays. On Monday at least you have the adrenaline of facing a new week to get you through. Wednesday you know you’re halfway to the finish line. Thursday you can look forward to Friday. And Friday is, well, Friday. But Tuesdays, screw Tuesdays. Tuesdays only exist to be horrible no good days.”

“I don’t think that applies to you, though. You don’t work on Sundays or Thursdays, and you do work on Saturdays.” Martha laughed as she returned to the kitchen to refill the kettle. “And don’t forget, quiz night tonight. We’re already missing Amy and Rory, we need you there.”

Rose nodded as she headed for the door. “Yeah, yeah. I’ll see if I can get Jack to fill in.”

The walk to the shop would have been much more pleasant than the previous morning if Rose had been able to slow down and enjoy it. There was just a touch of autumn on the air and she looked forward to the changes that would bring about Coal Hill. She would be the first to admit that she was a bit of a hypocrite. Yesterday she’d compared the man who wanted the Beatles album with the people that always bought the trendy seasonal drink at Starbucks and here she was already looking forward to all things cinnamon apple and pumpkin spice, sweater weather, and falling leaves. Really she was just as ‘basic’ as the next girl her age, Rose laughed to herself.

The employee door was unlocked and the lights in the entryway were blindingly bright as she walked into the building. “Morning, Donna!” She called as she hung her jacket and dashed into the shop as quickly as she could. Donna was already taking chairs off the tables and Rose felt a surge of disappointment in herself as she moved to help.

“I’m so sorry I’m late. I overslept. Still haven’t gotten used to this schedule change yet. Promise it won’t happen again.” She rambled in a string of consciousness until she noticed Donna smirking at her.

“Rose, it’s fine. According to my watch you walked in right on time.” She said with a wink.

Rose sighed a breath of relief. “Oh, well, ignore everything I just said then.” Rose returned to the backroom and switched on the sound system that would play into the cafe and upstairs.

_ **‘I’ve got this friend, I don’t think you know him. He’s not much for words, he’s hidden his heart away.’** _

She swayed her hips and bobbed her head a bit as she returned to help Donna in the main room. “Do you think Jack would be interested in joining us for quiz night? With Amy and Rory gone we’re down two.”

“Bollocks.” Donna shook her head in dismay. “That would have been smart, huh? Unfortunately I’ve scheduled Jack to close tonight due to the fact that we’re still short staffed ‘til next week. I don’t think Bill is available tonight and it’s probably best to have one of my leads on at all times anyway.”

Rose nodded in agreement. “You’re going to have to promote someone, Don. I know we don’t really want to talk about it yet, but I can’t guarantee Amy is going to stick around once she completes her degree. Jack and I can’t be here all the time. Well,” She gave her friend and boss a sly look, “not without a pay raise.”

Donna wagged her finger at her, “Nuh-uh. I already acquired that record shop upstairs because of that look. You’re not getting a raise to go with it.”

Rose opened her mouth to respond but was interrupted by a soft rapping against the front door. Her lips slid into a wide grin as she saw John Smith standing outside, one hand rapping against the window, the other stuffed deep in his pocket, a sheepish look on his face.

“Now what’s that man doing here?” Donna asked as she walked to open the door for him.

Rose felt a blush spread across her cheekbones, realizing she’d never actually told Donna about the agreement they’d struck the previous morning. “I may have told him he could come in if he missed his bus.”

“You’re too nice for your own good, Rose Tyler.” The older woman shook her head but opened the door with a smile. “Good morning! I’m to understand this means you missed your bus?”

John rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment. “Yeah. Remembered my wallet this time though.” He sent a small smile to Rose.

“Small coffee, four sugars, yeah? Candy and caffeine, the best way to start a morning.” She teased with a smile, the tip of her tongue just poking out between her teeth.

He glared at her but she could see the sparkle in his eye as he took the coffee from her. She was shocked to feel a flutter in her chest at his look. She ignored it as best she could as she handed him his change and returned to her morning duties. She hummed softly to the music playing over head and tried to calm the fluttering in her chest.

_ **‘Oh I’ve got this friend, if the right one came along.’** _

“I realized we hadn’t actually set a time to catch up, Donna. Was wondering if you’d be around tonight. You could introduce me to the area.” John suggested with a slight shrug of his shoulders.

Donna’s own shoulders fell as she shook her head. “I’ve already got plans actually. Quiz nig-” She cut herself off as her eyes went wide. She reached out and grasped John’s arm between her hands. Rose shook her head, already knowing where this was going. “Yes! I am around tonight! And I can introduce you to the area! In the best way possible.”

John turned to Rose and gave her a questioning look. “Why do I get the feeling I’m not going to like this?”

“Oh, it’ll be brilliant. Really.” Donna assured him. “Rose and I go to a local pub for quiz night every other week. Usually there’s six of us but two are on vacation. What do you say, Spaceman? We could use someone with a science background to fill the ranks.”

John frowned and held his hands up, “Oh, no. I couldn’t.”

“Come on. Come with us,” Rose spoke up from behind the counter. She attempted to make her voice light and friendly but inwardly wanted to beg the man to join them. She’d have to process those feelings later, she thought. “It’s a lot of fun. We’ve never won but it’s always great to toss back a few with friends and try to prove who is smarter than who.”

John smirked at her. “I’m guessing it’s not going to take much to prove that I’m in the genius in the room, hmm?”

“Oi!” Donna released his arm only to give it a solid smack. “Watch it, Spaceman. You can be just as easily uninvited.”

John raised his hands in mock surrender, “Sorry, sorry. Okay. I’ll go. Where and when?” He checked his watch and began walking towards the front door.

“Eight o’clock sharp at The Blue Box. It’s a pub down on Davison.” Rose called after him. “And don’t miss your bus tonight!”

She beamed at him as he turned to shoot her a sharp glare but couldn’t help but notice how the edges of his lips lifted at the same time. The flutter in her chest returned and she fought down the the blush she felt spreading across her cheeks. Her eyes locked with Donna’s as she turned back to finish up her morning tasks.

“What?” she questioned hesitantly.

Donna just shrugged playfully, “Nothing. Nothing at all.”

Rose rolled her eyes, “Uh-huh. You’re a terrible liar.”

“Just noticed that he only said yes after you asked him.” She answered before turning to head to the backroom.

Rose’s mouth dropped open slightly to argue but Donna was already gone by the time any words came to her._ She’s absolutely barmy,_ Rose thought. Who knows whether John would have agreed before she’d butted in and asked. Even so, she couldn’t deny the flutter in her chest as she thought of his teasing smile and playful glare. If he only agreed to come because she asked, well, who was she to deny the butterfly in her chest a bit of joy at the thought.

* * *

Songs used in this chapter:

  * I've Got This Friend by The Civil Wars

[Listen to The Sound of Us soundtrack on Spotify. (WIP)](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3dwM66FevvQr30BRrrHriN)


	4. Chapter 4

John hopped off his bus at the corner of Davison and Baker Rd and straightened his coat. He wasn’t sure why but he felt a rush of nervousness as he looked down at himself. It was one thing to run into the coffee shop first thing in the morning looking haggard, but now, when he was about to be seen socially for an extended period, he hoped he passed muster. He chuckled as he remembered one of his previous graduate assistants calling him a “punk rock grandpa” and while he wasn’t quite old enough to be anyone’s grandfather he couldn’t argue with the punk rock bit. Old concert t-shirts, fitted trousers, and Doc Martens were a look he hadn’t quite been able to give up as the years had passed.

_River would be so disappointed_, he thought fondly as he made his way down the street towards the pub.

Once inside the building he heard a familiar voice shout his name from the bar. Donna was waving at him and pointed to an empty stool beside her. He gave her a confused look as he looked around her for anyone else that may be in their party.

“Where’s-”

“Rose?” Donna asked with a smirk, speaking loud enough to be heard over the cacophony of the full pub.

“Everyone else?” John responded firmly, ignoring her remark.

Donna smiled and motioned to the bartender. “I’ll take a glass of red, he’ll have whatever lager is on tap.” He nodded his thanks as he settled onto the stool. “You’re actually early. I’m sure they’ll be here shortly.”

“So what are you doing here already?” He questioned. The bartender slid his drink to him and he caught it easily.

“I came straight from the shop. Had an unexpected rush right as I was getting ready to head back to my flat so I had to stay and help for a bit and then just decided to head here.” She smiled slyly at him over her glass, “Rose and the others should be here soon.”

John dropped his shoulders as he gave her a stern look, “Donna, whatever you are implying, you can stop.”

She gave a pretend gasp and held her hand over her heart, “Me? Imply anything? I have _literally_ no idea what you’re talking about.”

John just rolled his eyes at her. He began to trace circles into the condensation on his glass as he thought about Rose and her tongue-touched smile grinning up at him. “She’s young, Donna. Too young. It would be inappropriate for me to be interested in her. And I know she’d never be interested in me. She probably thinks I’m some old creep.”

“That’s a load of bull and you know it.” Donna reprimanded him. “You’re neither old, nor a creep.”

John laughed and tuned to face her, “And what do you call these wrinkles then, hmm?”

“All those wrinkles mean is that you didn’t use enough moisturizer and spent too much time in the sun. She’s not that young, and you’re not that old. I’m guessing twenty years difference, if that.”

“Donna, no. I couldn’t.” He shook his head and stared into this glass again. “Besides, Jenny would have a fit, and River…” He trailed off as he thought of the other blonde woman with an infamous smile in his life.

Donna sighed but nodded and seemed to let it go to his appreciation. She leaned in closer, her shoulder nearly brushing his, so they could speak quieter. “How are the girls? Last time I saw Jenny she only made it up to my hip.”

John chuckled as he thought fondly of his daughter, “Takes after her mother. She’s off on an extended holiday, traveling the world right now. Needed to escape for a bit I think. She’ll be starting uni next year.”

“And River?” Donna asked gently.

He took a long drink of his lager before answering. “She’s gone. Heart attack while on a dig.”

“Oh, John.” He felt her hand wrap around his gently. “I’m so sorry.”

John nodded and took another drink. “So there it is. What would Rose want with an old widower with an almost grown daughter? Well, not technically a widower, but close enough.”

Donna looked as if she was about to argue but thankfully she simply turned and took another drink of her wine.

“So what about you then, huh?” John shot her a wide smile. “Enough about me and my sorry life. What’s going on with the great Donna Noble?”

She laughed then and shook her head. “Same old, really. Well, I guess ‘same old’ has changed a bit since we worked together. So, you remember how my grandfather fell ill, yeah? It’s the reason I left Galli-U and moved back down here?” John nodded as he thought fondly back on their time working together at Gallifrey University. “He passed away shortly after that. It was really hard, we were always so close. I wasn’t really sure what I was going to do, but he left me a small inheritance. Thought maybe I’d use it to travel the world for a little while. But then I heard Wanderlust was shuttering it’s doors and on a whim I decided it was as good an adventure as any.”

John placed a warm hand on hers, “I always knew you were meant for so much more than secretarial work.”

“Oi. Don’t knock that work. Do you know what a mess you would have been without your morning cup of coffee and me to remind you of your appointments? Secretaries keep the world running.”

He laughed heartily but nodded, “You’re right. I’m sorry. I was a bit of a mess until we could find a replacement that could fill the Donna shaped hole you left in the department. No one really ever did fill it completely.”

“Good.” Donna grinned at him, obviously proud of herself.

“So what about the record shop upstairs then? Was that part of the original Wanderlust?”

Donna threw her head back with a laugh, “God no. I blame Rose entirely for that. She struck up a friendship with the old owner and started volunteering up there when she wasn’t working downstairs. He was close to retiring and when he began talking about selling Rose came at me with those big doe eyes of hers and I couldn’t resist.”

“So that trick works on everyone then?” John chuckled thinking about how he had caved so easily into coming here just that morning.

“Good evening, boss.” A cheery voice sounded behind them.

“Speak of the devil,” Donna joked as they both turned to see Rose crossing to bar.

She turned her attractive smile on John and he did his best to ignore the tightening in his chest. “And look who didn’t miss their bus!” She nudged his shoulder with his as she leaned forward onto the bar between them.

“I’m going to go sign us up for the quiz. Can you two get the others' drinks, please and thank you.” Without waiting Donna picked up her wine and wandered off into the increasingly crowded pub.

Rose slid onto Donna’s abandoned stool and began picking at an invisible thread on the hem of her jacket. “I’m glad you came tonight.” She said loud enough to be heard over the din of the room.

John faced her and felt his breath catch as she smiled up at him from beneath her lashes. He tried to find something, anything to say in response but found that no words were coming to him. He was saved by the sound of the bartender asking for her order.

“Ta.” Rose nodded to the bartender as he went off to get the cider and two ales she’d ordered. She turned to John once he’d gone, leaning in close so that she wouldn’t have to talk so loudly. “How are things at the university?”

“Good, good.” He nodded emphatically, slightly distracted by her nearness and the smell of her shampoo as she leaned into him. “Quiet, which is nice. Enjoying it while it lasts at least.”

“Same. I can’t wait for some of our employees to get back from their summer holidays but I’m not looking forward to the crazy lines we’ll start getting first thing in the morning.”

The bartender returned and traded her the drinks for the money she’d already counted out onto the counter. “Do you mind grabbing one of the ales? That’s mine.” She nodded to one of the drinks and John diligently picked it up along with his half finished lager.

Rose lead them into a separate room in the back of the pub. It was quieter here. They’d actually be able to hear each other and John already missed Rose leaning in close. Donna was seated with a young couple at a round table, two chairs left open beside each other.

“Mickey, Martha,” Rose placed a beer in front of each member of the couple, “this is John Smith. John this is Mickey and Martha.”

Martha grinned up at him and held her hand out, “It’s great to finally meet you.”

He shook her hand briefly but quirked his eyebrow at her, “Finally?”

“Rose and Donna have both been singing your praises.” She said as if it was obvious.

He felt a warmth spread through his chest as he turned to look at the young woman beside him. He could have sworn he saw a pretty blush cover her cheeks but she turned away from him too quickly to be sure, falling into easy conversation with Donna.

“Do you two work at Wanderlust as well?” He asked Martha.

The man, Mickey, shook his head. “Nah. Rose and I go way back. Grew up together. I’m an apprentice at Powell Mechanics over on the west side of campus and Martha here is a grad student at the university.”

“Oh, really!” John turned and grinned at the woman seated to his right. “What are you studying?”

She beamed proudly up at him, “Final year of med school. I’m just doing my last rotation at Pointe Mercy Hospital now.”

“Impressive. Any idea where you’ll go after that?”

“Wherever will take me honestly. I’d love to stay in the area if possible but I can’t really afford to be choosy.” She responded with a shrug.

He felt Rose shift beside him, her knee knocking his before quickly drawing back. “You’re not allowed to go anywhere Martha. I do not want to go through the hassle of finding a new roommate.” Rose teased.

“You could just take Mickey back.” Martha tossed her boyfriend a smirk.

Rose made a face of mock disgusting before cracking a smile, “No thank you. He is your idiot now.”

John felt a strange sensation, somewhat similar to jealousy, rise in his throat. He shook his head to clear the feeling and downed the rest of his drink. Standing, he looked at the bar behind him, “Can I get anyone a refill?”

“Another red for me please,” Donna called as she began passing pencils to the team.

While he waited for the orders to be filled he felt a presence come up beside him. Turning he was surprised to see Rose smiling up at him. “Martha and I figured we should refill now before the quiz starts.” When the bartender came back with John’s beer and Donna’s wine she put in the other order. John shifted his weight from foot to foot wondering if he should stay and wait with her or return to his seat.

“So uh, you and Mickey?” He asked, finally deciding to stay.

Rose laughed and shook her head. “A long time ago. Realized pretty quickly he’s like the brother I never had. Couldn’t be happier for him when he and Martha hit it off as well as they did.”

He’d meant to say ‘good for them’, really he had. But to his shock and embarrassment he heard himself ask, “And are you seeing anyone now?” She looked up at him, a bit of surprise written across her own features and he quickly tried to back track. “Sorry. Personal question. You don’t hav-”

“No.” He felt his chest flutter as she looked up at him from beneath her eyelashes. “I’m not.” He opened his mouth as if to say something, but finding no words he simply pressed his lips back together and gave her a half smile.

“Here are your drinks.” The bartender broke the silence and they both jumped as if they’d forgotten where they were for a moment.

Rose picked up the remaining drinks and returned to the table while John paid the bill. _Doctor Idiot, that’s who you are, Doctor Idiot_, he thought. He picked up Donna’s wine and his own lager and followed Rose a moment later.

Any further awkwardness he could have created was graciously stymied as he heard a loud voice come over the speakers.

“Welcome! Welcome! So glad you could all make it out for The Blue Box’s Tuesday Quizzo! According to my list here we’ve got some of our best teams in the house tonight. We’ve got Planet Skaro!” A small table of men that looked as if they’d just left the football pitch cheered.

“We’ve got E=MC Hammer!” Another table let out some loud “Whoop, whoops!” and John was surprised to see one of his colleagues among a group of older quiz goers.

“Sure you shouldn’t be seated over with them.” Mickey said as he looked John up and down. “Seem a bit more your age- er- style I mean.” John glared at the man over his drink, refusing to acknowledge he was just having a similar thought himself.

Donna swatted the man on the arm while Rose sighed, “Leave ‘im alone, Mick.”

“We also have Fish Fingers!” The MC chuckled, “Seriously, where do you people get these names?” John could just barely make out the last bit over window busting exclamations from a table near theirs.

“And finally, Team Tardis!” John jumped a bit as his table mates cheered loudly. Rose beamed up at him as she yelled out a “Wahoo!” causing him to laugh into the drink he’d just raised to his lips.

The room quieted down as the MC began the quiz and went down a list of general knowledge questions. Donna excitedly answered Libra when asked “What zodiac sign is a symbol of scales?” while Mickey proudly answered that Ryan Giggs was the most decorated footballer in UK history.

“So, Team Tardis? Where’d that name come from?” John asked Rose as Donna walked their first answer sheet up to the front of the room.

The woman shrugged, “Honestly no idea. We needed a name when we first started coming here and it was the first thing that came to my mind. Probably some word I made up as a child that stuck with me for some reason.”

The next round was science and maths. With each question John felt more and more confident as the team turned to him for the correct answer. He felt Rose’s hands hitting him lightly in her excitement as he answered “Aurora Borealis” as the official name of the Northern Lights.

“You’re brilliant, you are.” She said excitedly as Donna once more took their answer sheet up to the MC for scoring. “There’s no way we’re going to lose with you here.”

John felt the blush rise in his cheeks and tried to hide it behind a long drink of his beer. “Nonsense. I never would have known who the ‘Fab Five’ were or Taylor Swift’s latest boyfriend. Good job on that one, Mickey.” He raised his beer in the man’s direction and chuckled at the answering glare.

“You’re just being modest.” Rose said as she nudged her shoulder with his.

“Modesty? Don’t know her.”

She stood suddenly, surprising him as he realized just how close they’d been leaning in towards each other. “Quick trip to the loo. Don’t win without me!”

He watched her leave and felt the corners of his lips tug in a small smile at her disappearing form. A cough drew his attention and he jumped back slightly when he found Donna sitting primly in Rose’s seat. Her elbow was on the table, her chin resting in the palm of her hand as she grinned like the cat that had got the canary. He rolled his eyes at her, downing his drink and pushing the empty glass away from him. It must be the beer that was making him act like a fool, he was cutting himself off.

“Going to ask her out?” Donna asked simply, breaking into his thoughts. He looked at her as if she were crazy and bristled at her playful laugh. “John, pretty sure the only person here that is blind to the looks you’re giving her is her. Rose is a smart girl but not great in the relationship department.”

“Well, she did date Mickey the Idiot.” He grumbled under his breath. He looked longingly at his empty glass and wished he hadn’t just cut himself off.

Donna smacked him on the arm again, “Be nice. He may not be the smartest of the bunch but he’s a really good guy. Cares about Rose more than you could imagine. And if you ever do get the bollocks to ask her out you’ll need to stay on his good side.” She stood up then and quickly moved back to her original chair. He could just make out Rose’s figure moving back through the crowd.

“Sorry, what did I miss?” She asked him as she slid into the chair at his side.

He shook his head as he swallowed hard, “Nothing. He hasn’t even finished tallying the scores yet.” Just then the MC’s voice came over the loud speaker again.

“We’re at the half-way point and the ranks are thus: In fourth place, Fish Fingers!” A groan sounded from the table nearest them. “In third place, Planet Skaro!” A round of drunken cheers sounded from the footballers across the room. “In second place, only two points behind the leaders, is Team Tardis!”

The room fell away as Rose turned and gave John a beaming smile. “Told you you’re brilliant.”

“We’re still losing.” He replied with a pointed look.

Rose shook her head defiantly. “Not gonna happen. I can feel it.”

“You do realize it’s just a pub quiz right?”

Donna leaned towards them and pointed a finger at Rose. “Don’t tell her that! This girl is more competitive than you realize. If she can taste victory there’s nothing that will stand in her way. And you do not want to see her when we lose.”

“Well,” He smirked at the blonde to his side, “I better make sure we win then.”

The next two rounds were fairly simple for the group. Between Donna, Mickey, and Rose they easily answered all current pop culture questions. The sports round was dominated by Mickey and Martha collectively. The couple even competed between themselves on which one of them could answer the questions fastest. Overtime John reevaluated his original impression of Mickey. The man certainly wasn’t a genius but he did have his areas of expertise. Moreover, he appeared passionate about those areas, often telling little stories or extra facts as he answered each question. John, used to being the smartest man in the room, was humbled to see others so excited and knowledgeable about topics he would have otherwise found trivial.

By the time the final round was beginning Team Tardis and E=MC Hammer were tied for first place, leaving the third team Planet Skaro over ten points behind them. John had thought Donna was exaggerating when she mentioned Rose’s competitiveness, but as the night had worn on the woman had definitely grown more and more serious. John watched her out of the corner of his eye while Donna prepared the final answer sheet. Rose was nibbling on her pencil, leaving little dents along the length of it, and he couldn’t take his eyes off her.

“We’ve reached the final part of the quiz and unless both teams royally bugger this up it looks like the race is between Team Tardis and E=MC Hammer! Tonight’s final round will be all about, music!”

Donna grinned as Rose clapped her hands in front of her. “Bring it on!” She said in an almost growl. John couldn’t have held in his laugh if he’d wanted to. Rose was something else and he found he wanted to learn what other surprises this woman had in store.

Most of the questions were surprisingly easy, with each person at the table chiming in together before Donna wrote down the answer. But when the MC asked “What Wiltshire singer rose to fame after preforming Power of Love for a John Lewis television advertisement?” only Rose’s voice whispered across the table excitedly, _Gabrielle Aplin_. The others at the table shrugged their shoulders but trusted her enough for Donna to write it down in her swooping font.

“Alright, and here we have it, the final question of the night: A controversial scene in the sixth Harry Potter film featured a dance between characters Harry Potter and Hermione Granger. Can you tell me the artist and song that played during that dance?”

“_O, Children_ by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds.” Came the answer in stereo as both John and Rose whispered the answer to Donna.

John gave Rose a surprised look, a sense of wonder passing over him. “You know Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds?”

“Well, you apparently know Harry Potter. We’re all full of surprises aren’t we?” She answered with a tongue-touched smirk.

Donna got up to turn the final sheet into the MC and Rose practically began bouncing in her chair.

“How do you guys put her through this every week?” John asked Martha as he nodded towards the bundle of nerves beside him.

“We don’t.” Martha laughed heartily, “Don’t know if we’d survive it. We all have such busy schedules we only do this every other week. Besides, Miss Competitive over there would probably have a stress induced heart attack if we did it any more.”

“I heard that,” Rose mumbled, her back still to them as she watched the MC tally the points. John fought the urge to reach out and place a calming hand against her shoulder.

John noticed that the Fish Fingers table had already begun packing their things. Planet Skaro were ordering another round and slapping each other on the back. Only their table and E=MC Hammer were still waiting for the results to be called. He felt his own competitiveness kick in as he saw his colleague on the other team walk across the bar to him. He’d only met the man in passing during his interview process but they hadn’t exactly kicked it off.

“John Smith! I see you’re settling in to Coal Hill life well enough.” The man said as he stretched out a hand to him.

“Well enough, Harry.” He said shortly as he shook the man’s hand as briefly as he could.

Harry’s eyes scanned the table before settling on Rose who was looking up at him with a pleasant but wary smile. John felt a growl build in the back of his throat as Harry looked her up and down. He could practically feel Rose squirming uncomfortably in her chair as she turned her back to the man and began to make small talk with Donna.

“Your team really gave us a run for our money tonight. Looks like they found their secret weapon.” He turned his gaze back to John’s and gave him a nod. “I’ll have to watch out for you.” With that the blond man turned on his heel to return to his table.

“Friend of yours?” Martha asked quietly.

John shook his head, “Not really. Though nothings really happened to make an enemy of him exactly. We just don’t get on. He’s a bit arrogant.”

“And you’re not?” Mickey asked with a grin.

John returned his smile but chose not to respond, knowing the man had a point. He had decimated the science round of the quiz after all.

“Ladies and gents! Thank you for your patience!” The MC’s loud voice boomed around the room, interrupting all further chatter. “I am pleased to declare, for the first time ever, Team Tardis as the winners of Tuesday Quizzo!”

John let out a loud cheer and punched the air with the rest of the team, their excitement had become more and more infectious over time. He turned to congratulate Rose on her well earned victory when he felt her arms wrap around his neck. He froze for a moment, unsure of what to do with an armful of the young woman. He wasn’t exactly a huger but he let his hands rest gently on her back as she hugged him.

“You were brilliant, John!” She exclaimed a she pulled back. She blushed prettily before removing her arms from around his neck. She tucked an errant strand of hair behind her ear as she looked down at her hands in embarrassment. “Sorry. Got excited.”

John gave her a gentle grin, “No need to apologize.”

“Well, Martha and I better get heading back. I’ve got an early day tomorrow.” She said, still not meeting his eyes. “Will I see you tomorrow morning?”

She finally looked up at him and John knew in that moment that he’d be missing the bus frequently. It wasn’t his fault, not really. He gave her a small nod and watched as she gathered her things, hugged Donna and Mickey goodbye and made her way out of the pub.

* * *

Songs used in this chapter:

  * O, Children by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds

[Listen to The Sound of Us soundtrack on Spotify. (WIP)](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3dwM66FevvQr30BRrrHriN)


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First off, I want to thank all of you who have Kudos'd, commented, and supported this little plot bunny of mine thus far. I've never written an AU and, as you can tell from my catalog of works, rarely write anything beyond a one-shot so this is all a bit new to me. I love you all!
> 
> Secondly part I, chapters from this point forward will probably be on the shorter side (1K-2K words). I just started a new job and the hours have me, and my sleep schedule, all out of wack. I'll write when I can and try to get it posted as quickly as possible for you so that way there aren't long waits between chapters.
> 
> Secondly part II, the great thing is that I have the final half of this story already plotted and many of the scenes already written! So hopefully you won't have to worry about Secondly Part I too much. :)
> 
> Third, still unbeta'd. If anyone is interested in being a beta let me know!

“Walk or bus?” Martha asked as she and Rose left the Blue Box.

Rose breathed in deep, enjoying the slight chill on the air as it filled her lungs. “Let’s walk. I don’t feel like back tracking once it drops us off by the shop.” She stuffed her hands in the pockets of her blue leather jacket as she turned in the direction of home. It wasn’t quite cold enough for the garment yet but as soon as she felt the beginning of autumn on the horizon it had been time to dig it out.

They’d made it a block before Martha turned to Rose with a sly grin. “So, John seems nice.”

Rose glanced at her friend out of the corner of her eye but otherwise didn’t take the bait. She nodded in agreement. “Yep.” She said simply, popping the ‘p’ in emphasis.

“I think he even grew on Mickey in the end.” Martha nudged her with her elbow.

“Uh-huh.”

Martha let out a sigh and stopped walking. Rose continued on a few feet before turning back in exasperation. “What?”

“What do you mean _what_?” The tone of Martha’s voice gave Rose a picture of the woman putting her hands on her hips and stamping her foot even if she didn’t actually do those things.

“I mean exactly that: _What_? I agree, he’s a nice guy.”

“That’s it? He’s a nice guy? Rose, the guy is positively nuts for you.” Martha said as if it was an obvious answer to one of the Quizzo questions that night. “Don’t tell me you haven’t noticed?”

Rose turned and began walking back down the street again and Martha hurried to catch up beside her. “There’s nothing to notice, Martha. I barely know him. It hasn’t even been forty-eight hours since he first came in to the shop.”

“Well, yeah. But Donna really likes him.” Martha said matter-of-factly as if that settled everything. “While you guys were waiting for the drinks she kept going on and on about how he’s made such a positive impact in her life and was so happy he’d moved here.” She turned and pointed an accusing finger at Rose, ”And you were certainly flirting up a storm with him. All doe-eyed and smiley.”

Rose glared at her in return and swatted her finger away. “I was not doe-eyed. And I wasn’t flirting.”

Martha stopped again and this time did put her hands on her hips, Rose turned on her heel and crossed her arms across her chest.

“Seriously? _Oh, John, you’re so brilliant._” She mimicked Rose, flipping her braided hair over her shoulder and batting her eyelashes. “_I guess we’re all full of surprises, wink wink, nudge nudge._”

Rose rolled her eyes and shook her head. “Fist, that’s a horrible impression. Second, I hate you.”

Martha skipped forward and slid her arm through Rose’s as they continued down the street again. “You don’t, but nice try.” She grew serious again as she patted her friend’s arm. “Seriously though. He likes you, it’s obvious, and I think you like him too. So what’s the problem?”

Rose thought over the last two days since she’d brought John in from the rain. It was true that she barely knew him, but that didn’t mean that she didn’t _want_ to know him. In truth, she felt like she could talk to him for hours given the chance. He was smart and funny; A little rough around the edges but definitely a squishy interior if everything Donna said was true.

She felt the butterfly in her chest do a flip as she thought about the crooked smile he’d given her throughout the night. A smile meant just for her as they teased each other and laughed. A crooked smile and sparkling, stormy blue eyes. She imagined she could easily get lost in those eyes. She shook her head to try to erase the pleasing image.

“Okay, yes. I am _attracted_ to him. Doesn’t mean I like him. I’m also attracted to Benedict Cumberbatch but that’s not happening anytime soon.”

“That’s a horrible example. He’s married. And a celebrity. Doesn’t count.”

Rose sighed and pulled Martha to a stop beside her. “Okay. So maybe I _could_ like him. As you said, he seems nice and is even growing on Mickey, which, as much as I hate to admit it, does count for something. And if everything Donna says about him is true…” She trailed off and thought for a moment before shrugging. “But he’s twice my age, Martha. He’s a physics professor, completely brilliant and good looking to boot. What the hell would he want with a full-time shop girl and part-time songwriter? And not even that! I haven’t written anything in ages. A failed songwriter more like.”

“Hey!” Martha once more pointed a finger at her with a glare. “You can say as much bullshit as you want about not liking John but I will not have you talking poorly about yourself. You’re Rose Tyler. Beautiful, brilliant, creative, kind, and one of my best mates. If you don’t like him, fine. But he would be lucky to have a girl like you.”

Rose gave her a small smile as they linked arms again and continued walking. “I’m sorry I said I hate you.” She said softly after they’d gone a few paces.

“That’s okay. I know you don’t mean it.” Martha patted her arm. “I’m sorry I gave you a hard time about John.”

They continued walking back to their flat in comfortable silence. At least, Rose hoped it felt comfortable to Martha. Internally Rose’s mind was racing as she considered her friend’s words. She really did enjoy the time she’d spent with John tonight. Between rounds they’d managed to talk about her work at Wanderlust and his research with the University. Though she barely understood a word of it she’d still listened and shared his excitement when he discussed some new discoveries in the field. She’d even made some suggestions on places he needed to visit as a new Coal Hill resident. Though she hadn’t quite gotten up the courage to suggest they visit them together. Through it all he’d been witty, intelligent, and truly charming and he’d swept her off her feet without even trying.

Still, he was far older than she was, and much more accomplished. How could a shop girl ever compare to a brilliant physicist? She wondered if she’d be having the same hesitations if he was younger, or a coworker, or even a local grad student. If he was even ten years younger would she be as hesitant to pursue something? He certainly wasn’t old, but there was enough of an age difference that there would be looks, questions, if they ever went out together.

Rose shook away the thought quickly. She didn’t really care what others thought about the age difference. Relationships never really fit into “normal” stereotypes these days anyway. But she did care about what John thought and she couldn’t ignore the cold doubt sitting low in her stomach that he wouldn’t be interested in a simple shop girl when he had the universe at his fingertips.

“I’m going to make some tea, would you like some?” Martha asked some time later as they entered their flat, tossing her keys into the bowl by the door.

“Yeah, thanks. I think I’m going to work for a bit before bed.” Rose hung up her coat and kicked off her shoes before making her way to her keyboard in the living room.

The instrument was her pride and joy and worth almost as much as her life. She’d saved for over a year to afford the Korg keyboard and arranger. It was a multi-faceted workstation that was supposed to make composing and songwriting easier. It was also a worthless piece of junk. No number of buttons, sliders, and touch-screens could help when the words just weren't there and it had been weeks since a single line worth writing down had come to her.

She trailed her fingers over the cool keys of the instrument and hoped that something would spark in her soon. She’d had a melody in her head for weeks but no words to go with it so it just sat in the back of her mind unfinished. She hadn’t performed in front of an audience in almost a year and hadn’t written anything new in months. She wondered briefly if Amy had the right of it, making new Plans when hers hadn’t come to fruition. But Rose wasn’t destined for business school. She wasn’t sure what she was destined for anymore. All she had was Wanderlust and a melody with no words. Despite what Martha had just told her, she couldn’t help the bitter taste of failure in the back of her throat.

_Yeah, I’m a right catch I am._ She thought glumly as she opened to a blank page in her notebook and hit the power button on the keyboard.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is completely unbeta'd. Please let me know if there are any mistakes I missed and I'll get them corrected asap!

John was already awake when his alarm went off on Wednesday morning. In truth he’d been awake for much of the night. Whether in dreams or wandering thoughts his memory seemed to taunt him with flashes of a tongue-touched grin and warm brown eyes. The images were both comforting and torturous and, try as he might, he couldn’t ignore the feeling that spread through him as he thought of Rose’s light laughter of the night before.

It had been a long time since he’d encountered such kindness and warmth in another human being. Perhaps not since Donna had been with him at Gallifrey. As much as he tried to block out the thoughts, there was something about Rose that drew him in, seemingly more and more insistent as the night had worn on. She was beautiful, funny, and intoxicatingly passionate. He’d noted it when she’d first walked him through Wanderlust Records. Her eyes shone, her shoulders relaxed, and she seemed to glow with excitement over the little shop, her little haven as she’d called it. And then at the pub… she truly was something else. It had just been a silly little quiz to some, but she lived for the competition, especially when she was in her element in the world of music. He was practically counting down the minutes before he’d get to ask her about her knowledge of Nick Cave when his thoughts were drowned out by the shrill ringing of his phone.

“Doctor Smith.” He answered, his voice husky with disuse in the early morning hour.

“Hello Dad.” A timid voice replied on the other end. John was awake in a moment at the sound of his daughter’s voice. It had been weeks since they’d spoken and the last conversation had not exactly ended on a good note. He threw his legs over the side of the bed and ran a tired hand over his eyes.

“Jenny. Good morning! Or, is it evening for you? Where are you?”

“Airport actually. We just spent a week in Tibet. Owen is on his way to Australia now to do some freelancing but Gwen and I thought it was time for a bit of a break. I was wondering… I was hoping…” Her voice tailed off and John smiled softly.

“I already have a room made up for you.” He answered her unspoken question gently.

It had been a long time since he’d had his daughter live under the same roof as him. She’d spent the majority of the time living and traveling with River on her expeditions, never staying in one place for too long. A part of him hoped she’d be happy to move in with him permanently but knew, especially with university around the corner, he’d have to see his daughter off once more in the not so distant future.

“Thanks, Dad. I’m going to spend a few days with Gwen in Cardiff and then I’ll make my way to your place.”

“Do you need me to pick you up somewhere? I can meet you. Just tell me when and where.” John stood and began to walk about his room already making a mental grocery list of Jenny’s favorite things he needed to pick up after work.

His daughter’s laughter rang across the phone line, “Yeah, right. With your terrible timing? You’d probably come pick me up the day after my flight lands. Don’t worry about it. I’ll take the train in from the airport. Just text me your address so at least I know where I’m going, yeah?”

“You’ll have it as soon as you hang up.” He assured her. There was silence for a moment before he softened and told her honestly, “I’m excited to see you, Jen. I miss you.”

The silence echoed before he heard his daughter’s soft sigh, “I miss you too, Dad. I really do.” He could just make out a voice on the other end of the line calling his daughter’s name. “I’ve got to go. We’re boarding now. I’ll see you in a few days! Love you.”

“Love you, too.” He replied quickly before the phone call could be cut off.

After texting Jenny his address he turned to a picture frame situated atop of his dresser. He could still remember the day the photo was taken. River had brought home an old set of plastic bones used in the museum and given them to Jenny. She was eight, maybe nine, but attempting to look far older than her years. She was wearing a pair of John’s old thick-framed glasses and crouching low over over the bones on the floor of their old kitchen. She had a paint brush in one hand and a notebook in the other and her long blonde hair was tied into two little pigtails that hung around her neck.

Another face with blonde hair flooded his vision and he felt a cold hand grip his chest as he thought of Rose. He suddenly felt sick. What had Donna said last night? Twenty year age difference, maximum? Laughing with the young woman by his side had made it feel like no difference at all but as he picked up the picture of his daughter he realized that age didn’t just mean years. It was lived experiences as well. Even if Rose didn’t have an issue with years, she probably would with him having a nearly grown daughter. He sighed as he put the picture back in it’s place. The happiness he’d felt thinking of them both turning sour in his stomach.

Still, he’d told Rose he’d see her this morning and he wasn’t about to start breaking promises now. He swallowed his doubt and disappointment and crossed to the bathroom. Showers were great places to think and he hoped a bit of clarity would come with a good cleansing.

The rain was coming down hard again as John walked purposefully towards Wanderlust. This time he had remembered his umbrella but he was already looking forward to the cup of coffee and pleasant conversation that awaited him inside the shop. The lights were already on but he was surprised to see a young man moving about the cafe rather than Rose or Donna as he had expected. He wondered briefly if he should turn back and wait at the bus stop but was drawn from his hesitation as he saw the man smile at him and move towards the front door. John backed up just enough to allow him to open it and usher him inside.

“You must be John?” The man grinned and held out his hand in greeting. Although John had never felt the urge to ‘bat for the other team’ he could not deny that the young man was alarmingly attractive. The epitome of tall, dark and handsome with his chestnut hair and deep brown eyes. His smile was perfect and crinkled his eyes at the corners. John suddenly felt very much his age as he placed his hand in the other man’s.

“I am, yes. And you are?”

“Jack Harkness.” The man replied before turning to the counter and grabbing a waiting to-go cup of coffee. “And I’ve already got your order ready right here. On the house. Well on Rose, technically.”

John attempted to appear casual and indifferent as he took the coffee and raised it to his lips. He nodded in thanks and finally asked, “Is she, um, is Rose here?” If Jack’s smile was anything to go by he knew his attempt at casual and indifferent had failed.

“She’s upstairs. Go on up.” Jack motioned before adding with a smirk, “Unless you have a bus to catch, of course.”

John ignored the young man’s look as he turned towards the staircase in the back of the room. As he climbed the stairs he could just begin to make out the sound of a guitar and a gentle voice calling out to him on the air.

_And wake up with me_  
_Open up your eyes_  
_Breath easy_  
_You and I can make our escape_  
_And give the pain to yesterday_  
_Feel a fresher light on your face_

His breath caught when he saw Rose and struggled to think of a more inviting sight than the one that met him now. Wanderlust Records was dark save for the soft glow of lights around the stage in the far corner of the room. Rose was seated, angled away from him, with an acoustic guitar in her lap and her hands on the strings. Her fingers danced lightly over the instrument, and though he could tell she wasn’t a professional the chords still tugged at his heart as he watched her.

_Remember when we thought_  
_Anything would happen if we tried_  
_Remember when the world was just as big on the inside_

She looked calm, at peace, as she played. As if the world had disappeared and it was just her and her music. He knew what that felt like, having escaped into the notes of his own guitar many times when the universe had felt too loud.

He placed one hesitant foot in front of the other, taking soft steps so not to startle her from her reverie, and moved slowly down the aisle towards the stage. On the rainy walk to Wanderlust John had resolved that he would not think of Rose as anything beyond a potential friend but as he listened to her siren call he could not remember what his reasoning had been. Her voice called to him, pulled him closer even as he fought to resist.

_Open up your eyes_  
_Breathe easy_  
_You and I can make our escape_  
_And give the pain to yesterday_

He paused when he was a few feet from the stage. He was no longer hidden in the shadows of the room and he watched her openly now as she finished her song. Her eyes slowly opened as the final notes hung in the air and pulled him forward.

“Beautiful.” He whispered before he could stop himself.

Rose jumped at the sound of his voice and she stood quickly, too quickly. One foot caught the edge of the stage and her arms spiraled, the guitar swinging dangerously close to hitting the floor. John was beside her in an instant, wrapping the arm not holding his coffee around her waist as she fell into his chest. The guitar hit him in the hip but he managed to steady himself as Rose found her footing.

“I’m sorry, didn’t mean to scare you.” He said stepping back but leaving his hand on her waist until he was sure she was standing firm once more.

Rose laughed, more an exhale than an actual sound as she placed the guitar safely on the stage. “It’s totally fine! I just wasn’t expecting anyone to be here.”

John felt his stomach drop slightly and his fingers wrap around his cup of coffee. She must have expected him at some point to have Jack make him his morning brew but maybe she’d expected he’d just leave after that. If that was the case then maybe she wasn’t as interested in their morning conversations as he was. He was still following this train of thought as he realized that she was speaking once more.

“-daft of course. I knew you were coming and I told Jack to send you up here when you did. I just forgot. Sorry.” She turned to him with an embarrassed look. “I tend to go into my own little world sometimes.”

John shook his head as if to clear the thoughts that were still coursing through them. “I know how that goes.”

Rose turned and walked over to the checkout counter and a row of switches behind it. The room was flooded with fluorescent light as she flipped each one in turn. John blinked as his eyes adjusted to the harsh light, already missing the warm yellow glow of the stage lights.

“Really though, that was beautiful. Is it one of yours?” He asked as he followed her to the counter.

She shook her head, almost sadly he noticed. “No. Gabrielle Aplin. One of my favorites. I haven’t written something in ages.”

“Aplin. She’s the singer you mentioned last night at the pub?”

Rose nodded enthusiastically. “One and the same. Bit of an inspiration really. She started out on YouTube posting videos of covers and magically managed to make it big. I always hoped something like that would happen for me.”

She turned and picked up a large box of records that had been stashed behind the counter. She continued talking as she added price tags to each one. “Jack got in early today so I figured I’d come up here and get in a bit of practice before we open. I don’t have my own guitar so I don’t get to practice as much as I would like.”

“I thought you said you were a musician? Doesn’t a guitar come standard with that gig?” John asked as he placed his cup down on the counter and leaned his forearms on the surface beside it.

Rose shook her head and shrugged in resolution. “We didn’t have much money growing up so when my mum offered to get me lessons I had to choose: piano or guitar. I chose piano. I think she regretted making me choose as it was much harder to fit a piano into our little flat than it would have been for a guitar.”

“Where did you learn to play then? Obviously you picked it up along the line somewhere.”

“College mainly. I took a class for one semester and borrowed Mickey’s guitar. The teacher was rubbish though. Most of the time I had to teach myself and I’m afraid I’ve done irreparable damage to my non-existent skills with stringed instruments.”

John thought for a moment as he watched the young woman continue to label the records in front of her. He only hesitated for a moment before finally stating softly, “I could teach you.”

Rose looked at him incredulously. “What? You play guitar?”

“Why? Don’t I look like I play.” He smirked as he leaned towards her across the counter. Rose returned his grin as she leaned her forearms on the counter and mirrored his movement.

“Well, I suppose the Doc Martens help sell it a bit.” She laughed before biting her lip. “Why didn’t you tell me before?”

John shrugged nonchalantly, “Just never came up.”

“Never came up? You asked me if I was a musician the day I met you. Wouldn’t have been much harder to add a _‘because I am’_ to that sentence.”

“Well, yeah. But then we got sidetracked by physics.” He hid his smile behind a long drink of his coffee.

She raised an eyebrow at him and continued in a teasing tone, “And you said I needed a better teacher.”

John blushed and tugged at his ear as her tongue slipped between her teeth. “Yeah, yeah I did, didn’t I?”

“And now you’re offering to teach me how to play guitar?”

John felt his breath stop for a moment as he took in the hopeful woman in front of him. Honestly he’d offer her the moon if he had the ability to lasso it. “Suppose I am, yeah. Based on what I just heard you already know how to play, it’s just fine tuning at this point.” He gave her a small smile before realizing the difficulty of his promise. “Though with my class schedule and your work I’m not sure how we’re going to find the time for it.”

Rose pulled her phone from her pocket and frowned at the screen. “Well we certainly don’t have time now. If I’m not mistaken I think you’re about to miss your bus again.” She chuckled as she turned her phone towards him. Sure enough, the clock on her phone said he had three minutes to make it to his bus stop or he’d be stuck taking advantage of Wanderlust’s hospitality even further. Not that he really minded the idea of being stuck here a bit longer.

“Here, let me see your phone.” She said as she put our her hand palm up. He dug it from his pocket and unlocked it for her. She typed on the screen for a moment before handing it back to him. “Since you have yet to ask, there’s my number.” She declared almost shyly, her bottom lip now caught between her teeth.

John flushed as he took the phone back and nodded in gratitude. “I’ll uh, get a hold of you later then?”

Rose nodded and picked up an armful of records she’d just labeled. She followed him into the shop and began placing the records in their corresponding spots. He was just reaching for the banister when Rose’s voice called him back again.

“I don’t work on Thursdays, by the way.” She called out. “I mean, obviously not that you come in because I’m here but, yeah, just letting you know, I guess? Jack will be here though, if you still do want to come in.”

John felt his chest constrict at the pretty blush spreading across her cheeks as he processed her jumbled statement. He shifted his weight as he considered her words. “Right. Good to know. Yes.” He paused glancing quickly between her and the stairwell where outside the shop his bus was surly arriving. “You’ll be back on Friday then?”

Rose nodded and when a small smile tugged at her lips he felt his own mirroring it. “Friday.”

* * *

Rose watched John’s figure disappear down the stairs and returned to sorting the new stock that had come in. She could just make out Jack’s voice wishing the older man a good rest of his day and the chime of the front door opening and closing. A strange feeling settled into her chest as she heard the door shut. She wouldn’t be seeing John again until Friday morning and she found a strange feeling of loss at the thought.

She knew she was being ridiculous. She’d only met the man two days ago and during that time had only spent a few hours with him, most of it in heated competition at Quizzo. Yet she couldn’t deny that waking up for work this morning had been easier than it had been the day before and she knew, though she still didn’t fully understand it, that John was part of that change. She continued her work, creating and placing price tags on the used records that had been dropped off at the store, and tried not to think about stormy blue eyes, unruly gray hair, and a devilishly crooked smile.

“Morning, Rose.” She heard Donna’s voice call from the stairwell. “Everything good up here?” Her friend and boss crossed the record shop as she flipped through some papers in a manila envelope.

“All good here. I moved one of the larger tables so we could do the interview there.” Rose nodded towards a table that had been pulled off to the side of the stage area. “I’m surprised you’ve already called someone in. You only posted the position on Monday.”

“This one’s a personal connection. Amy gave me his information before she left for her holiday.” She handed Rose the papers she’d been carrying. Rose quickly noted that they were a resume and cover letter.

“Ianto Jones.” Rose read off the top sheet. “Name sounds familiar.”

Donna nodded and pointed to the education section of his resume. “He’s in Amy’s program.”

“Oh, right! I remember now. She met him at that new cohort retreat they had to do over the summer. She said he was, and I quote, _‘Very nice, a little uptight, and totally Jack’s type.’_ Oh, and apparently a good dresser?” Rose chuckled as she recalled Amy’s texts about the man’s impeccable suits. “Let’s keep him away from Jack for a little while, yeah?”

Donna laughed as she took the papers back from Rose. “He’ll be here around eleven. Do you mind taking your lunch after the interview?”

“Of course. The sooner we can get some extra help the better. If it works out when will he start?”

“I’m hoping as early as tomorrow. If it works out I’ll get his paperwork and references done today. He shares a few classes with Amy but not all. Between you, Jack, Bill and the two of them we should be able to survive until we can get through interviewing some other applicants.”

Rose nodded in agreement as she moved to a new stack of records for labeling. She noticed out of the corner of her eye that Donna was watching her with a shadow of a smile on her lips. She ignored it for as long as she could until finally letting out an exasperated sigh.

“Was there something else, _Boss_?” She asked with emphasis.

Donna shrugged nonchalantly. “Nothing at all. Just wondering if John’s been in yet.” The redhead smiled slyly at Rose’s answering nod. “You do know we’re not open yet, right?”

Rose froze in place as a mix of fear and disappointment hit her. Donna hadn’t seemed to have an issue with her allowing John in early the rest of the week but perhaps she hadn’t expected the hospitality to continue. Monday had been an exception, Rose had said so herself. Just giving the man a reprieve from waiting in the rain.

“I’m so sorry, Donna. I didn’t think it was a problem.” Rose said in a rush. “I can tell Jack not to let him in tomorrow. Or maybe you should message John and tell him? Oh gosh, I’ve made things awkward haven’t I? I’m so sor-” Rose cut herself off as the older woman threw her head back in a laugh.

“You two are going to be the death of me.” She said through her laughter. “It’s fine, Rose. Really. Just don’t make a habit of opening up shop early for every stray on the street. I suppose we can make an exception for this one individual. Besides, I appreciate that he keeps buying coffee even when that’s not really the reason he keeps coming in.”

Rose felt that familiar flutter in her chest at Donna’s implication but refused to dwell on it. “It’s not like that. You know he’s new in town. It’s just that he’s found a place with people he can talk to. Besides, with you here I’m sure catching up is just like old times.”

Donna shrugged in mock agreement. “Well, it could be. Except that each morning he’s been in he spends his time with you. I think it’s more likely the blonde roast is what’s keeps his attention these days.”

Rose rolled her eyes and grabbed Ianto’s resume back from her friend and moved to change the subject. “Well if this one’s as good in person as he is on paper I think this will work out wonderfully.”

* * *

Songs Featured in This Chapter:

  * Wake Up With Me by Gabrielle Aplin (One of my favorite Twelve/Rose songs)

[Listen to The Sound of Us soundtrack on Spotify. (WIP)](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3dwM66FevvQr30BRrrHriN)


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter completely un-beta'd. Please let me know if there are any mistakes and I'll get them fixed ASAP.

Ianto turned out be just as great in person as he was on paper and Rose beamed as Donna offered him the position on the spot. The man was appropriately humble as he accepted her offered handshake and stated that he’d be happy to start as soon as possible. Rose left them to work out the final details while she went off to tell Jack the great news.

“You mean I get to work with the good looking Welshman?” Jack exclaimed excitedly before continuing in a hushed tone, “Did he mention me? I said hello when he came in.”

Bill and Jack were in the midst of the lunch rush when she gave them the news of Ianto’s hire. As she told them about his interview she quickly jumped in line and began heating up sandwiches and pouring coffee in well-practiced motions. Her own lunch was forgotten until the rush was over.

She rolled her eyes as she removed a tomato caprese baguette from the industrial oven and passed it to a waiting customer. “It was a job interview, Jack. Why would he mention you at his job interview?”

“Well,” Jack answered as he wiggled his shoulders in a very clear indication of his high self-esteem, “perhaps he asked about the benefits of working here? Such as working with one Jack Harkness?”

“We’re a coffee shop, not a dating service.” She responded, sending a pointed glare over the carafe of blonde roast she was in the process of refilling.

Rose immediately felt a sense of dread grip at her as she watched Jack’s smirk turn teasing rather than flirtatious. He dropped the cloth he’d been using to dry some mugs and turned towards her slowly. She could clearly see a mischievous glint in his eyes when he finally asked, “So how’s John? I didn’t get much of a chance to talk to him before he escaped upstairs.”

Bill snorted out a laugh as she rung up the next customer and gave him his change. Rose chose to ignore both of her friends and coworkers.

“I had a text from Amy this morning.” Rose answered instead. “She and Rory should be back Friday afternoon and, if my suspicions are correct, we will have some celebrating to do.”

“Oh?” Jack’s pout at being ignored quickly turned into a grin at the prospect of new gossip. He reached around Bill to pick up a piece of paper that had been hidden behind the register. “What did you have? He’d propose day two of their trip?”

She made an affirmative sound as she returned the carafe to its place on the counter and sidled up next to him to read the paper. There had been a long going competition between the Wanderlust employees and their close friends on when Amy and Rory would finally get a move on with the engagement they all knew was coming. But every time a holiday came and went, a birthday passed, or the duo went off on vacation together the group was left disappointed. At this point they were starting to wonder if Amy and Rory knew about their bets and were simply putting off the inevitable out of spite.

“Mickey’s out.” Bill said over her shoulder as she typed in an order for the next customer.

Jack nodded as he trailed his finger down to Mickey’s name. “Yep. He was positive it wasn’t going to happen. Such a pessimist.”

“A well reasoned one.” Bill argued. “We’ve been let down before.”

Jack shrugged as he placed the paper back behind the register. “Fair enough. You know, as much as I want to win, I sort of hope Martha gets it in the end.”

Rose let out a hearty laugh at that. Martha had a suspicion that Amy was as tired of waiting as the rest of them and would finally take matters into her own hands this trip. While every woman in their group of friends were a force to be reckoned with she figured that only Amy had the metaphorical balls to propose to her boyfriend. Honestly, Rose wished she’d placed her bet on that first because she truly wouldn’t be surprised if Rory was the one to walk through the door with a ring on his finger and not Amy. The line in the cafe continued to grow and all thoughts of rings and engagements were pushed aside as the trio worked efficiently through the rest of the lunch rush and the remainder of the day.

A hot cup of tea and a good book were calling to Rose as she pushed open the door of her flat later that afternoon. While she still wasn’t quite used to working the morning shift she had to admit that having an evening to herself each day was definitely a perk. She kicked off her shoes beside the hallway closet and dropped her purse on the kitchen counter. She reveled in the relief that being home brought to her. She loved Wanderlust as if it was her second home but it was often noisy and the smells of the cafe could often become overwhelming as the day went on. The small flat she shared with Martha was sparsely decorated and unless they had company, blissfully quiet, especially with Rose working mornings and Martha at night. When she wasn’t sleeping, at work, or at Mickey’s Martha could always be found on the couch studying from one of her many textbooks.

Well, at least when she could stay awake. Currently Rose found Martha asleep on the couch, a textbook open on her chest and a highlighter balanced precariously in her limp hand. Rose chuckled as she bent over and picked up the cap to the highlighter and gingerly took the writing implement from her friend’s hand. She glanced at her phone and figured Martha had another half an hour before she needed to be heading to the hospital. With a sigh she decided her own evening relaxation could wait while she took care of her friend in much the way Martha had for her the previous mornings.

She was still surprised that after years working at Wanderlust amongst the music and the coffee grounds she could still find a strange sense of peace that came with brewing a fresh pot of coffee at home. It was almost a ritual now with memorized movements she could perform in her sleep. Usually she would opt for whole bean, happy to grind it fresh herself before adding it to the pot, but with Martha still snoring lightly she chose a ground blend that Donna had brought back from a holiday in Italy at the beginning of summer. She breathed in deeply as she opened the bag and sighed at the warm, almost spicy aroma. She was a Brit through and through and as such loved a good cup of tea but even she couldn’t deny the appreciation she had for a good dark roast. The coffee was just finished brewing and Rose was picking out a clean thermos when Martha finally began turning over on the couch.

“Up and at ‘em, sleepy head.” Rose called softly so as not to startle her friend. “It’s your turn to get your bum to work.”

Martha glowered at her as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. “What time is it?”

“You’ve got about twenty minutes I think.” She replied as she filled the thermos. “Milk?” She poured a bit in to the thermos and gave it a stir while Martha untangled herself from the couch and made her way to her bedroom.

Twenty minutes later Martha rushed out of the door with fresh scrubs and her hot coffee, a _‘Thanks, love!’_ called over her shoulder as she went. Rose breathed a sigh as the silence of the flat surrounded her once more. She closed her eyes and centered herself, leaving the long day of work behind. Remaining was an ache in her legs and racing thoughts she hadn’t had time to process during the day. She knew exactly what she needed, a warm bath. Without a second thought she made her way to her bedroom, unbuttoning her shirt and trousers as she went.

After adding some lavender salts to the bath she turned on some soft music on her phone and stepped into the welcoming warmth of the water. She couldn’t help but think that a good soak was almost like a good cup of tea. You had to get the temperature just right, add just enough salts and bubbles, and then as you sank beneath the surface the aroma wrapped around your senses in a moment of euphoria. The water was soothing, the steam running a gentle caress over the lines of her face and the knots in her shoulders until they disappeared and left her relaxed in its embrace.

The stresses of the day seemed the evaporate like the steam that that rose from her skin. She loved her job, more than she ever thought she would when she first started there, but being on her feet all day, talking to customers, hearing the sounds and smelling the scents of the cafe for hours on end took a lot out of her. The atmosphere of Wanderlust did not leave much in the room of hearing ones thoughts or taking some time to think and breath for a bit. So as the water soothed her physical aches the quiet music eased her senses and gave her room to hear her own thoughts for the first time all day.

Rose smiled softly as she recalled the text message from Amy that morning. Somewhere out there the redhead was likely already planning an extravagant wedding. Rose didn’t like to assume but she had a feeling maid of honor duties would be coming her way sooner rather than later and already began rearranging her schedule in her head to accommodate the extra work. Fortunately Amy had the sort of bold self-assured Type A personality that meant she would likely do most of the planning herself, while Rory and Rose would be there in support whenever and wherever she needed.

Rose would have to remember to text her mother the good news but she’d wait until after actually seeing the ring and getting confirmation to do so. Rose pushed away the thoughts of her mother as quickly as they had come. While she loved her mother more than life itself the woman also had a very stereotypical one-track mind of a woman in her very late forty's believing she’d never get to meet potential grandchildren. As soon as Rose told her Amy was engaged her mother would flip a switch and immediately begin asking when that would be happening for her own daughter.

It wasn’t that Rose wasn’t interested in marriage. She’d just never met anyone it was worth pursuing that particular adventure with just yet. Even if she did meet that special someone she wasn’t of the belief one had to be married in order to live a full life of commitment and children. In the end her mother cared more about grandchildren than marriage but Jackie Tyler still liked to envision a day of bouquets of lilies and white lace. Rose just wasn’t sure that’s what she envisioned. She’d be happy to run off to the local court house or even another country if the opportunity arose. When she did think about that opportunity Rose had been bereft when she could never put a face to the person standing beside her at whatever alter they chose.

This time however a face was there. An increasingly familiar face with gentle lines, a crooked smile, and blue eyes she could almost write a song about. After her discussion with Martha the previous night she’d finally admitted that she was attracted to one Dr. John Smith. The piece she’d kept to herself was that she was growing more and more aware that it was something beyond simple attraction. There was something about him that intrigued her. He was a conundrum, a question to be answered. He spoke techno-babel like a second language but wore Doc Martens and vintage band t-shirts under his zippered hoodie and coat. She suspected they were actually vintage as well, not just made to look and feel like it.

She’d taken a risk today, giving him her number, and she hoped he took advantage of the olive branch. She wasn’t exactly sure what the protocol was for asking out a man twice your age and figured that was the next best thing. She’d considered asking him if he’d liked to grab coffee sometime before realizing the ridiculousness of that idea. She’d done the next best thing and paid for his morning cup and hoped he’d pick up the subtle hints. Still, when it came down to it, he was just a bloke and her few experiences with the species told her he likely wouldn’t catch her hints. If he didn’t, well, she hadn’t really risked and lost everything as she would have had she actually asked him out. She prided herself on her actions even as the cold sense of doubt and future disappointment settled in her gut.

The bathwater eventually grew just as cold around her and she was finally forced to leave it’s gentle caress. She wrapped a fluffy robe around her and slipped her feet into a pair of bunny slippers Amy had bought her for her last birthday. As she was walking towards the kitchen to make a warm cup of tea John’s face clouded her thoughts once more. This time however, it was accompanied by a melody, just a few notes, but she turned in a flash, her tea quickly forgotten, and sat down at her keyboard to work.

* * *

“Here’s the article from Rutgers you asked for, Dr. Smith.” John jumped out of his stupor and turned towards his office door. Clara was standing there with some papers in her hand and a sheepish look on her face. “Sorry. I did knock.”

John waved her in as he dropped his cellphone quickly back on his desk as if it was hot to the touch. He had been glancing between his computer and the small device for the last hour before finally picking it up and scrolling through his contacts. His heart beat seemed to grow louder in his ears as each letter of the alphabet passed. By the time he reached the Rs and the Ss he was almost deafened by his own anxiety. When he got to the Ts there she was: _Rose Tyler._

It would have been so easy to just press the little phone beside her name or to send her a short text but what was he supposed to say? He told her he’d get a hold of her later. How much time had to pass before it was later? Did the twenty-four hour rule apply to text messages? Did the twenty-four hour rule even apply in this day and age of dating? It had been a long time since he’d been on a date. Not since before he had married River. Not for the first time he thought to himself that he was getting too old for all of this.

He held out a hand for the article and nodded his thanks to Clara. The young woman turned to leave as he began to flip through the papers. He could just make out her movements out of the corner of his eye and noticed that she hesitated by the door.

“Was there something else, Clara?” He asked, not looking up from the paper in his hands.

She cleared her throat before walking back to his desk and sitting in the chair across from him. “Are you okay, sir?”

John looked up then, confusion clear across his features. “I’m always okay. Why do you ask?”

Clara gave him a pointed look. He was impressed, not many would call him out as she seemed to want to do. “I knocked on your door repeatedly and when I finally let myself in you were off in a daze just starring at your phone. Are you waiting for a phone call?”

John made a noise as if to protest before swallowing it down. “Quite the opposite, actually.” Part of him wanted to wave her away and tell her to mind her own business but the other part longed for someone to talk to. Donna was no help. He adored the woman but the two of them acted as if they only shared one brain-cell at the best of times. He needed someone outside of the problem, someone unbiased.

“Clara,” He started before swallowing his pride and continuing, “how long are you supposed to wait before texting someone once they’ve given you their number?”


	8. Chapter 8

The sky was still dark beyond her window as Rose blinked awake. She rubbed a tired hand across her eyes as she used the other to pull her blankets tighter around her. Yesterday was the day that wouldn’t end and she’d been looking forward to a bit of extra sleep. After she’d gotten off from Wanderlust the U-News had sent her to a new bar in town that was promoting a weekly open mic night. The bar was looking for some free advertising and the university paper was always looking to foster new relationships and promote local talent.

Rose let out a wide yawn as she stretched her arms above her head. Her body told her it was far too early to be awake and as she looked at the time on her phone her brain fervently agreed. A green alert on her phone quickly answered the question of why she had woken up so early as the sounds of the incoming text messages must have pulled her from her dreams. She debated ignoring the message for a moment and rolling over to return to sleep but her curiosity too easily got the better of her. She felt the exhaustion slip away as she opened and read the first message.

_Jack wouldn’t let me in until I agreed to let him make me a mysterious coffee concoction. He promised me that it would have at least four sugars. I’ll admit that it wasn’t horrible. I’ll make sure he teaches you the recipe._

In a moment Rose was awake, her blankets pooling around her waist as she shot up in bed and pulled her legs beneath her as she moved on to the second bit of text.

_Oh, this is John by the way. Sorry. I should have started with that I suppose. Probably should have said “Good morning. Hope you slept well. This is John, by the way.” Pretend I said that._

Rose bit her lip as she added him to her contacts and typed out a response. _Good morning! (Thanks for the text message alarm clock, btw.) Maybe I’ll have to trade shifts with Jack more often and have him keep making your drinks._

She wondered if she should message Donna and point out that he had still come to the shop even on her day off but the thought was overwhelmed by excitement as she saw another message pop up under hers.

_Oh, no. I didn’t mean that! I like your coffee more. I just mean that it was still decent. An okay substitute. (What does BTW mean? And does that mean I woke you? I do apologize if so. I’ll leave you to your sleep.)_

Rose chuckled as she typed back, _I was just joking! :) I’m happy to keep making your sugary sludge. (It means ‘by the way’ and yes you did. But that’s okay. I should be getting up anyway.)_

The last message was still marked _unread_ as she began to type out another. When it was done she hesitated with her thumb over the send button. She bit her lip, took a breath, and finally pressed down on the screen. _Besides, I enjoy talking to you. It’s worth waking up for._

* * *

As usual, the morning bus was quiet and John could just make out the music playing on the radio up near the driver. Unlike the previous mornings that week though, he tuned it out as he focused on the phone in his hand. After getting his coffee concoction from Jack he’d spent the next ten minutes at the bus stop, no one to delay him today, turning the phone over and over between his fingers debating if he should listen to Clara or not.

His graduate assistant had been especially excited to learn a bit more about her professor’s private life. Under normal circumstances he would have preferred to keep a professional barrier up between them but with no one else to talk to it seemed that line was easily erased away. Clara claimed that the days of waiting twenty-four hours to call were long behind them now. The best thing to do when an opportunity presented itself was to go after it wholeheartedly.

_“And what if the risk isn’t worth it? What if you lay it all on the line and you only end up hurt?”_

_“And what if it is and you don’t take the chance? Life is short, Doctor. And you aren’t exactly young.”_

John smirked as he remembered her words as she’d walked out the door. Clara had surprised him yet again with her candor. He had underestimated her that first day, expecting her to be like so many of his previous assistants that only worked for praise and self-promotion. She seemed genuinely curious and concerned about his situation, willing to lend an ear, and even poked fun without fear of retaliation.

When he’d sat down on the bus he slowly began typing out a message to Rose. He went through a cycle of write, erase, write, erase, so many times that he forgot what he’d already tried and ended up writing it again. He cursed silently, wishing he’d thought to give her his number instead so she’d be the one worrying over what to say instead of him. He cursed again as he realized she’d probably know exactly what to say. She did have a way with words after all and not for the first time he envied that talent.

It was even worse now that he realized he’d gone and woken her up. So maybe he didn’t have to wait twenty-four hours but he probably should have at least waited until normal people were awake. If Rose was anything like Jenny she’d be cursing him and saying “five more minutes” for the next half an hour. But as he reread her message it seemed she really wasn’t that upset. Quite the opposite in fact. Rose wrote that talking to him was worth waking up for. That had to mean something, right?

_I like talking to you, too. _He finally wrote and then read and reread the line a half dozen times. He wondered if it was too much. Too little. He shook his head in frustration. He was too old to be this nervous, too old to have a crush, and certainly far too old to be _texting_. Clara’s voice rang in his mind as he squared his shoulders and pressed send with a similar determination as a soldier sending a missile into war. And just as that soldier in war, the doubt immediately set in once the decision was no longer in his hands.

The message instantly went from _sent_ to _read_ and he watched with bated breath as a speech bubble with an ellipses popped up on to the screen before disappearing again. Twice more it popped up and disappeared and John felt his heart sink. _Bugger_. She was trying to figure out how to let him down nicely, wasn’t she? She was trying to figure out a way to say he shouldn’t come into the shop any more. She was trying to say… _something_.

Quickly he placed his coffee between his knees and typed out a message that he hoped would save the situation. _But, obviously, feel no obligation to keep doing so. I appreciate the warm welcome you and Donna have given me. You two have made these early mornings and new job easier than they would have been._

He took a long drink from his coffee as he watched the _read_ message appear under his words. As the bus arrived at his destination and he left to start his day he held his phone tightly in his hand, his eyes rarely leaving the screen. The speech bubble and ellipses never returned. His message went unanswered. And as the day went on he wondered if it was something he’d said or maybe something he hadn’t.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the shortness of this one! My work schedule has been difficult to work around so I figured I'd try to get out whatever I could during the time I have off.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is completely unbeta'd. Please let me know if there are any mistakes I missed and I'll get them corrected asap!

The lights in the Wanderlust cafe were still dark as John walked up to the front door the following morning. His knock on the glass was met with silence and there appeared to be no lights or movement from further inside the shop. His watch told him he was only a few minutes earlier than normal and that the first bus of the morning should be arriving any moment. He debated turning and running the short distance to the bus stop. It should have been easy to do but he couldn’t seem to move his feet. Part of him wanted to avoid Wanderlust all together but the other part of him felt like he couldn’t properly start his day until he’d had his fill of caffeine and sunshine smiles.

He ran a frustrated hand through his hair as he played with the phone in his pocket with the other. Rose never responded to his message the day before and he’d talked himself out of messaging her again, repeatedly, throughout the day. He cursed at himself as he went over the short conversation once more in his head. He'd long ago memorized the few short sentences. Why should he have expected her to write back? He’d actually gone and told her she didn’t need to.

A knock shook him from his thoughts and he spun around expecting to see a tongue-touched-grin just like he had that first morning. He knew the disappointment must have been clear on his face when Donna chuckled as she opened the door and beckoned him inside.

“Not the person you were hoping to see?” She asked as she crossed the room and flipped some light switches on the far wall.

The idea of lying crossed his mind but John knew Donna would see through it in a moment. His friend had always seemed to know him better than he’d known himself. It would be worthless trying to keep up a facade around her.

“Is, uh, is Rose not here?” He asked as casually as he could. He glanced around the room and towards the back stairs leading up to Wanderlust Records but all he could see was darkness beyond the top step.

Donna shook her head as she set about brewing a few pots of fresh coffee. “Apparently she slept through her alarm. Running a bit late.”

“Oh. Right.”

The silence stretched between them uncomfortably as John glanced between the backroom and the front door. He looked everywhere he could except the tall redhead in front of him. He knew she was watching him, could feel her eyes crossing over his features. He knew she was trying her best to hold her tongue.

“So what’s going on with you two?”

He sighed at the question, she never was very good at holding her tongue in the end. “Nothing.” He answered simply. The urge to lie becoming stronger even under her inquisitive glare.

“Load of bull, that is.” Donna laughed. She came out from behind the counter and pointed at a table in the middle of the room. “Sit. Sit or no coffee.” She added when he made a sound to protest. He rolled his eyes but followed her lead in taking a chair off the table and turning it over onto the floor.

“Honestly, Don. There’s nothing between me and Rose.” He urged as he sat down across from her. “She’s a friend. At least, I hope she is.” He trailed his fingers over his phone where it lay on the table. When had he taken it out of his pocket? He tapped it with a fingertip and his frown deepened at the blank screen.

Donna watched him with a curious expression before finally leaning forward in her chair. “John, I can’t claim to understand what’s going on in that great big brain of yours but if it’s to do with Rose I may be able to help.” She gave him a gentle smile as she placed a hand over his. “I like to think I know you both pretty well.”

John pulled his hand back and dropped his phone back into his pocket. “That’s the problem. You’re biased. Too involved.”

“So there is something going on in that great big brain of yours?” She asked with a grin as he groaned. “Come on. Out with it.”

John ran a frustrated hand through his unruly curls. It seemed to be a growing habit of his and he made a mental note to get a haircut if he was going to keep making it stand on end during his trips to Wanderlust. “Fine. Yes. I am… drawn to her.”

“Drawn to her.” Donna repeated in a deadpan, almost exasperated voice. She rolled her eyes and pressed further forward. “Come off it. You like her. You _like_ like her.”

He rolled his eyes. “We aren’t in high school, Donna. _Like_ like? Really?”

“But you do! Admit it.” She pointed an accusatory finger at him.

“Ok, yes. Fine. I _like_ like her. She’s funny, charming, passionate. I feel like I could talk to her for hours and I haven’t felt like that with someone since-” He cut himself off and looked down at his hands. The line around his finger had faded long ago.

Donna nodded in understanding. “Since River.”

“I know it might not make sense. We’d been divorced for years before she passed but she never stopped being my friend. We understood each other and after she died I didn’t think I would feel that way about someone again. I’d accepted it, embraced it even. I was fine being alone with my books and my research. Then in bursts this young woman, all warmth and kindness and when she speaks it’s like music on the air and I don’t know what to do.”

He finally looked up and met Donna’s gaze. He had expected her to be laughing at him but instead she was looking at him as if he had just recited Shakespeare in the park. He felt his cheeks flush furiously and dropped his eyes to his fingers yet again.

“You’ve got it bad, love.” Donna said softly. “If love at first sight were a person I’m pretty sure you’re the spitting image of him.”

John laughed, more a bitter exhale of air than anything else. “I believe in a lot of strange phenomena in this universe but I don’t know if love at first sight is one of them.”

“Of course it is. And I’m pretty sure Rose is right there with you.” Donna assured him.

His phone was in his hand once more and he tapped the screen. Blank. He turned the device over and over in his fingers before finally admitting what had been bothering him for near twenty-four hours. “I think I messed up. I just… I don’t know how.” He unlocked the screen and pulled up the text messages between him and Rose the previous day. He debated whether or not he should show Donna. These were Rose’s words and he shouldn’t be sharing them without her permission. Still he’d been driving himself crazy waiting for her response and the only thing he could think was that he’d said something wrong.

He gave Donna a pleading look and gave her the phone. “What did I say?”

Donna read over the messages, her face going through a mix of emotions as she did so. She chuckled, sighed, whispered “oh that’s sweet” before finally glaring at him.

“You dumbo!” She exclaimed as she handed the phone back to him and pointed at his final message. “You’re so smart. How can you be so smart and yet such a dunce?”

He read over his final message once more but was clearly missing something that should have been very obvious. “What? What was it?”

“She was flirting with you and you were practically perfect in flirting right back. _Practically perfect_ up until you threw me into the mix!”

“I don’t understand. All I said is that the two of you have helped make me feel welcome here. You’ve been very helpful.”

Donna pinched the bridge of her nose between her fingers and sighed deeply. “Breath Donna. He’s just a bloke. Breathe.” Finally she locked eyes with him once more and gave him a stern look. “Ok. Imagine this. Imagine the roles were reversed. You two are talking, flirting, about ready to take that next step, whatever that step may be but then she starts talking about another bloke. Mickey! What if she starts talking about Mickey? She says that you and Mickey are great, that you and Mickey have really helped her, that you and Mickey blah blah blah. And then, the cherry on top comes. She says that you don’t need to keep talking to her… because she has Mickey.”

John glared at the phone as he began to follow her. “So wait. She thinks that… that you and I… but that’s preposterous. There’s no way she would think that.”

Donna shook her head and sighed, he noticed the exaggerated exhale seemed to be as common as blinking for her when she talked to him. “She probably doesn’t think that you and I have anything romantic going on but she certainly thinks you’re dismissing her. You’ve told her she doesn’t need to feel any obligation to keep up the conversation because you have me. Then on top of that you’ve placed her in the Donna Noble category. The very much non-romantic category.”

“_Bloody texting._” John growled as he once more shoved the phone into his pocket. “So what should I do?”

The desire to climb under the table washed over him at the look Donna shot his way. “You talk to her, you idiot. Get over your emotional constipation and talk to the woman.”

John’s mouth dropped. He tried to voice a rebuttal but she ignored him as she stood and returned to her work. _Talking._ She said it like it was easy.

“Donna, I-” He cut himself off as the sound of a door crashing open rang from the backroom.

“I am so sorry, Donna!” Rose’s voice called out. John’s stomach dropped as he looked up into Donna’s cheeky grin. A moment later Rose came dashing into the room tying an apron around her waist. “So, so sorry about that. It won’t happen again! Prom-” She stopped as her eyes landed on John. “Oh. Um. Good morning.”

Her face flushed as she turned and moved into the cafe to begin taking chairs off of the tabletops. John shot Donna a pleading glance but she simply shrugged and left the room without so much as a “See ya!” over her shoulder.

John shifted his weight awkwardly as he watched Rose move around the room. She flitted from table to table, nervous energy trailing in her wake. He wanted to reach out for her, tell her everything he was thinking, feeling, but his fight or flight response was still screaming at him to run for the hills as quick as his feet could take him.

He glanced between the young woman and the freshly brewed coffee and wondered if asking for a cup would help break the tension. Or maybe he should just start with a cheery ‘Good Morning.’ Or maybe he should just get down on his knees and ask for forgiveness. Or maybe he’d just offer up the normal British platitudes about the weather.

He was just about to open his mouth and say something, he wasn’t sure what exactly, when she beat him to it. “Did Donna get your coffee yet?” Rose asked quietly as she passed him and walked into the little kitchenette behind the counter.

“Um, no. No, she didn’t.” He answered and walked up to the register as he pulled his wallet from his pocket.

Neither of them spoke as they went through the motions of their morning routine. One coffee, four sugars. To-go cup traded for a couple of bills. John ached to say something but felt his vocabulary disappear as she gave him a soft, somewhat sad smile as she handed him his cup. She held his gaze for a moment and he knew they were both silently begging the other to speak first. John opened his mouth like a fish gasping for air but nothing came out.

Rose sighed, bit her lip and nodded her head gently. “I should get back to work. Have a lot to do before we open.”

“Yeah.” He frowned, feeling as if he was missing something obvious again.

They both stood there. Still as statues until Rose’s shoulders rose and fell in a deep breath. She gave him a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “I’ll see ya around.” And then she was gone, moving quickly out of the cafe and into the backroom.

The taste of her name formed on his tongue and he longed to call her back to him. Instead he swallowed the urge and dropped his shoulders in defeat. A moment later music flooded the room, the volume slightly too loud, and it caused him to jump in surprise.

_It's hard to argue when_  
_you won't stop making sense_  
_But my tongue still misbehaves and it_  
_keeps digging my own grave_

He spared a glance towards the doorway that both women had disappeared through before turning on his heel to leave. The morning air outside Wanderlust was bitterly cold and for the first time that week John missed the warmth of the sun.

* * *

_Why would I sabotage_  
_the best thing that I have_  
_Well, it makes it easier to know_  
_exactly what I want with my_

_Hands open and my eyes open_  
_I just keep hoping_  
_that your heart opens_

Rose pressed the heels of her palms into her eyes as she leaned back against a wall in the backroom. Snow Patrol was attempting to drown out the thoughts in her head but she could still make out the sound of John opening and closing Wanderlust’s front door.

“You going to explain what that was all about?” Rose jumped as a stern voice shook her from her thoughts. She dropped her hands from her face and looked up into Donna’s questioning look. Her eyebrow was quirked, her lips a thin line, and for a moment Rose felt like she was sixteen again and getting home after curfew.

“It was nothing. Just in a hurry to get caught up this morning. Sorry again about being late.” She answered before turning to leave the room. She hoped Donna would leave it be but knew it was too much to ask as she heard her friend’s footsteps following her. As she went through the motions of preparing the little cafe kitchenette for the morning rush she could feel Donna’s eyes on her back. She ignored the woman as best she could until she felt a warm hand rest upon her shoulder.

In a moment the fight seemed to seep from her as Rose's resolve dropped and the exhaustion set it. She allowed Donna to wrap an arm around her shoulders in a gentle embrace and she rested her forehead against the woman’s shoulder. Rose could feel the pinprick of tears at the back of her eyes and willed the feeling to go away. She breathed deeply for a few moments before finally finding her voice once more. She stepped back from Donna and gave her a soft but grateful smile.

“Thank you. I really am okay. I promise. I mean I will be.” She quickly added at Donna’s skeptical look. “Really. I just got my hopes up for…” she trailed off and shrugged dishearteningly, “Something? I guess. And it turned out to be nothing.”

She turned her back on her friend and set about straightening out some coupons placed beside the register. “Then of course I slept through my alarm, and Martha got stuck at the hospital late so I haven’t had my coffee yet and… and yeah. It’s just been a rough day or so.”

Donna nodded and stepped back. Rose watched her out of the corner of her eye as she walked around to the other side of the counter and leaned her forearms against it. Rose appreciated the gesture. She was still there, still listening, but giving her the space she needed.

“You know that thing that you had your hopes up for?” Donna asked and gave Rose a significant look. Rose blushed but nodded slightly. “Maybe don’t give up on it so quickly. It’s not good to give up on our hopes. What’s left of us when we do?”

Rose smirked and toyed with the corner of the register. She pressed her fingertip into it and felt the sharp angle dig into her skin. “Eh, sometimes it works out. I wouldn’t be here if I’d kept hoping for my big break.”

“Now see here, Rose Tyler.” Donna stabbed at the counter top with her finger. “I am under no illusion that you plan on spending the rest of your days here as my shop keep. Some day we’ll see your name in lights and I’ll be front and center watching you sing your cute little rear-end off.”

Rose felt a warmth spread through her at her friend’s praise but she couldn’t help the thread of doubt she’d been worrying at for the past few days. “I’ve been thinking a lot about it and I think it’s time I moved on. From performing. At this point the idea is more of a formality than anything. I haven’t actually gone out looking for gigs in ages. Haven’t sent out a demo or even tried out for a local talent show. And it’s not that the opportunities haven’t come up. The paper had me cover that open mic night on Wednesday, yeah? I could have signed up for that but I didn’t even consider it.”

Donna frowned and Rose feared the inevitable disappointment her friend would feel in her. “Do you not want to sing anymore?”

“It’s not that,” Rose said softly as she continued to toy with the edge of the register. It left an imprint in her fingertip and she watched the dent fade away before poking the corner into it again. “I don’t know. I just don’t know what I want anymore. You said John was the one that convinced you that you could do more than secretarial work, right? What was that transition like?”

“Yeah, he did. When I was at Galli-U I figured that working the front of an office and nights out with the girls were all that I had left before me. He helped me see that it was never too late to take chances and put your heart on the line. I’d always been good with organizational skills and maths and when this place went up for sale I figured I’d stock it with good people and see what I could do with it. It was scary, moving from front of the office to back of the house. I was used to running a daily schedule, not running a store.”

Donna reached across and wrapped her hand gently around the one that Rose was currently using to mess with the register. Rose smiled softly as Donna gave it a squeeze before continuing. “I was terrified. I put everything I had into buying this place on a whim. It could have all crashed and burned around me and it really was difficult in the beginning. But then I found you. And Amy and Jack. The three of you helped make this place the success that it is now.”

“Don’t feel like you have to settle but also don’t feel like you can’t change your mind. You don’t have to stick to a plan just because you thought that it’s what you wanted. What we want changes all the time. If you want to sing, you will. I believe in you and I will support you all the way. I’ll talk to the others about your hours if you need more time off to work and attend gigs.” Rose felt the pinprick of tears return as her friend’s kindness enveloped her. She nodded and wiped at her eyes as Donna continued. “But if it’s not what you want, that’s okay. Whether it’s working full-time for the paper, or going back to school like Amy, or even if you want to stick it out here with me and Jack for the rest of your life, know that I believe in you.”

With that Donna gave her a warm smile and her hand a final squeeze. She turned and made her way to the backroom, leaving Rose to continue her morning duties. Rose pressed her thumbprint into the corner of the register once more as she noticed the volume of the music turn down slightly.

* * *

Songs Featured in this Chapter:

  * Hands Open by Snow Patrol

[Listen to The Sound of Us soundtrack on Spotify. (WIP)](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3dwM66FevvQr30BRrrHriN)


End file.
